Crossing A Blurred Line
by Miss Chips
Summary: When Briar travels to the chilling country of Madab, he knows little of the danger, deadness, and the evil queen that will do anything to get what she wants. (Sandry/Briar romance thing)
1. Hating Life, Drippy Wagons, and Horses

**Crossing a Blurred Line**   
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_Disclaimer: Don't sue me. Please? I'm too tired to write a disclaimer. Just don't sue me._

_Notes: Hey people! I know, I've been very bad and haven't written a single story since God-knows-when. But, here I am! Back and full of inspiration, (heh, yeah right.) I'm also back with a new Briar/Sandry thing, although this one is more focused on action than on anything else. I might throw in another romance just for the hell of it, too. (And because I thought that they would be cute together.) You're going to have to guess who that couple is however (Yeah, I'm evil. Sue me. But don't really.) Well, I'm just here to say, be nice. I actually worked somewhat hard on this story (Yes, gasp!) I even drew a whole map for this country I made and wrote a history about it. So, don't say it sucks. Please? If it does suck, just don't tell me, okay?_   
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L**ife is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.**   
** ~Thomas Carlyle**   
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**Prologue: Hating Life, Drippy Wagons, and Horses.**   


"Ow! Get off my arm!" 

"Don't mind if I do. . . as soon as you get your stupid foot off my cat!" 

"What the. . .?! I'm not on your _stupid_ cat." 

"That's right. Now your on _my_ arm!" 

Briar sighed in exasperation, huffing into a dark, dripping void. He was slowly starting to realize that his argument was going nowhere fast. And, it felt like the wagon that he was inside of was also. It was just his stupid luck that he got stuck with a band of smiling goon traders who were just to nice to say no to, but now, the candle that had been situated in the back of the wagon had gone out. Not only that, but he was stuck with a stubborn girl who insisted that her idiotic cats be everywhere she went. 

Briar decided right then that he hated his life. 

"I can't see a damn thing in here," he announced, annoyance dripping off his words. He tried to turn to face his companion, only to step on another of her multitude of cats. The thing screeched madly. 

"You stepped on Apricot. . . again," said a flat, cold voice that came from his back. It didn't sound in the least bit amused. 

"Yeah, well," Briar stuttered madly, "the damn thing got in my way. . . _again._" He spat the last word at his companion, before letting curse words drip form his mouth, and his tone was about as amused as his companion. He was ticked. No, he was beyond ticked. He was furiously frustrated. And, when he was mad, he liked to curse. Alot. 

Cursing again, he yelled to his companion, "Evvy, can you make yourself useful? Can't you magic up a rock in here to get some kind of light in this Mila-forsaken place?" A drip of water landed on his head and landed square on his nose. He cursed again. 

"You quit that language and I will," his companion, Evvy, bit in, her voice calm and even toned. She heard Briar say something along the lines of, "Yes, your most highness-ness," but she ignored him. Closing her eyes, she searched her surroundings for some kind of rock that would be suitable for lighting up an area. First, she found her own personal rock collection, and found them trembling with impatient excitement. Evvy shook her head patiently, a small smile on her lips. She told them that she would not waste them on getting light so that Pahan Briar would ease his terrible temper. 

Still searching, she encountered all kinds of different magic, but when she finally found a suitable rock, she felt the ground beneath her come to a jarring halt. Her concentration snapped like a twig. She lost her footing and went flying backwards, landing ungracefully on her rump. 

"What the?!" Briar shouted again, annoyance starting to filter to very muscles of his face. His left cheek twitched irritably. 

Right after he said this, the end of the wagon's curtain opened. Dull light filtered through the opening of the curtain, making both Briar and Evvy squint. It was the first time either had seen light for four hours, ever since their light went out. Squinting, Briar put his hands around his eyes to shade them from the light so that he could see a head in-between the two folds of the curtain. It was a dark skinned head, which had a kerchief tied around his round bald head. The head smiled at the two mages. His bright white teeth contrasted against his dark black beard, and his large dark eyes sparkled brightly. 

"I come. Give big help? Right?" The man stuttered in broken Imperial. 

Briar who was about to fume, suddenly felt the anger leave from his body as if air had been punched out of his lungs. He smiled crookedly at the dark, happy man before rattling off some highly accented Trader talk, "Thanks for the lift. It really was a big help, Balaj." Briar felt himself lie through his teeth. He was quite sure the journey would have been a whole lot easier if he hadn't been cooped up in a dark, drippy wagon for the majority of it all. 

The man laughed jolly before offering a hand to Evvy, who was staring blankly at them both. The only thing she knew to say in trader talk was, "Hello," and "How much does this cost?" She supposed Briar had used a few Trader curse words on the trip up to wherever they were going -she had yet to get to many details about their destination from Pahan Briar yet. She was quite sure though that the curse words wouldn't do much good in ordinary conversation. She accepted the older man's hand, watching in astonishment as it engulfed her much smaller hand. 

Gently, the larger man let Evvy down to the ground before turning to Briar and chattering away, "You sure do have a nice accent for the language, plant mage." At this, Balaj slapped him on the back affectionately and laughed. 

Briar smiled at the older man's teasing before raising an eyebrow. "Can't say much for your Imperial either," He teased back, smiling crookedly at Balaj. He let himself down from the wagon that had held Evvy and himself captive for nearly the entire day. Briar hadn't been entirely thrilled with the prospect of being in a wagon for more than six hours. No, that was saying it lightly. The prospect of it didn't just not entirely thrill him, it made his stomach roll. But, when Balaj offered him his services, Briar hated to turn the large Trader man away. Every time he saw Balaj, he saw Daja through the man's sharp dark eyes. Plus, it looked like Balaj was down on his luck. He and his family was heading to the Western coast, but they needed to coppers to get there. Balaj was hoping to be a hired man on his cousin's boat once he reached the coast of the Western Deep. Plus, and most importantly of all, Balaj's daughter, Fillahg, wasn't too bad looking. . . 

As soon as he took a step out of the wagon, Briar knew something was wrong. Obviously, Evvy did too. She mouthed a "Where are we?" but Briar frowned doubtfully at her. Turning to his left, Briar saw a large cliff wall, in which had large, granite stone that glimmered in the now setting sun. It rose up nearly twenty feet, and on it's rigid cracks, small struggling trees grew. Up the side of the stony wall was a small dirt path that extended to the top. Only one wagon could go up it at a time, and it would have to be small wagon. Briar was starting to see why they had stopped. He was going to voice his hypothesis, but Evvy managed to interrupt. 

"It's freezing," she managed to stutter, her teeth chattering inside her skull. Her creamy, pale arms were wrapped around her body. Her entire body shivered, and she was so goosebumped, Briar could count the goosebumps on her skin. 

Actually, truth be told, Briar hadn't even noticed the cold only for the simple fact that he was busy inspecting the area to find out why they had suddenly stopped. But, now that Evvy most convientantly brought up this fact, he started to feel the cold. But, he didn't want Evvy to see his sudden awareness of the cold, so he simply shrugged. "It ain't that bad," he said stiffly, trying his best not to shiver. Turning to Balaj, he nodded towards the hill. "Let me guess, we're on our own from now on." A down-draft of wind blew and ruffled his hair, but Briar refused to let himself shiver. Balaj felt the air too, for he cursed before pulling his large leather cape, that draped his shoulders, closer to his body. Balaj pointed up the hill, before speaking, "Our wagons won't go up that steep of a hill. I'm sorry, but. . ." 

". . . But we've got our horses and our donkey. We'll be fine, Balaj," Briar interrupted, smiling warmly at the older Trader. 

Balaj smiled back at Briar, showing his snowy white teeth. He slapped Briar on the back affectionately, before signaling to a younger boy that was standing near Briar's horses. The boy came near Balaj and mumbled something to him. Balaj responded and motioned the boy away, who of which immediately went to the back of the wagon and started to pull out carts and luggage that belonged to both Briar and Evvy. He then transported the heavy chests to the sides of Briar and Evvy's horses. 

Watching the boy's muscles strain under the heavy pressure of the luggage, Briar was about to help, but Balaj interrupted, "Quite a bit of luggage you have there, my boy," He commented with a large smile. 

Briar smiled back at Balaj, "Yeah, there sure is. Most of it is the girl's- Evvy's her name. You know how girls can be." Briar was glad Evvy didn't know Trader talk, or else she would have interjected by now. The older man laughed at Briar before shaking his head. 

"I know what you mean. The wife insisted on nearly packing the house when we started to head out west." Balaj paused before looking hesitantly at Briar and then raising his large, bushy black eyebrows questionably, "And if I may, where is a young lad, like yourself, taking all this luggage?" 

Briar was about to answer Balaj, before he caught sight of Evvy. She had herself curled up, her arms encircled around her bare, exposed skin to protect from the chilly wind that was pouring down from atop the cliff. Frowning, Briar went up to Evvy and took his own cloak off his shoulders and offered it to her. She accepted it quickly and then, with chattering teeth, muttered a, "Thank you." 

Shaking his head in exasperation, Briar turned to Balaj and asked, "What did you ask again, Balaj?" 

"I asked, my boy, where is it that you are heading?" Balaj started to walk away from Briar to hitch the chests to the donkeys. "All I know, young lad, is that you asked me to follow a certain path, and this is where we must stop, for our wagons won't and cannot go any farther." 

Briar watched Balaj before he walked over to help him. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he thought about the map that he had given Balaj earlier to help him bring him to his destination. If he remembered right, the only place that he thought that Balaj might have difficulty with was the Punaskawiee Canyon. And, from the looks of it, that's were the trouble was. 

Briar sighed, before calculating how far he still had to go. It was quite a distance before he would arrive at his destination. Briar was about to curse, but he decided to skip it, for fear that the older trader might think it was directed at him. "Well, for right now, I wanna get over that canyon, and from there I have about ten miles to my final destination in Madab. From there, I'm supposed to head to Sarai Island with the girls." Briar was sure that Balaj knew who the girls were. It seemed like the whole, stupid world knew. Everywhere he went it was, "Are the legends really true about you and the magical girls?" It was if no one else in the world had anything better to do than stick their nebs in his life. 

All of sudden, one of Evvy's heavy trunks wasn't strapping as nicely as he had hoped. With a giant shove, he managed to snap the last straps to the horse, but not without nearly giving out his back. He was about to ask Evvy if she had decided to pack a few more cats and about every rock she ever owned with her in her luggage, but was caught short when he saw Balaj. 

Balaj was pale as death, and his eyes were wide and fearsome. And when Balaj was afraid about something, it was a bad thing. No, it was a very bad thing. 

Briar's alarm senses went on automatically, and he was about to call the strings that held up his wrist blades to untie themselves, until Balaj snapped out of his fearsome aura and stuttered, "Did. . . did you say Madab," he paused to spit on the ground, "my boy?" 

Looking at Balaj as if he asked him if he had three heads, Briar said slowly, "Last time I checked, I think I said Madab." Balaj spat again. "Why? Just another tourist trap?" Briar teased, trying to lighten the mood. It didn't work. In fact, it crashed and burned. Hard. 

"It's an evil land, my boy," Balaj said, his voice shaky and frightened. "I didn't even know that I was this close to it. I wouldn't have come this far if I knew that we were this close." The wind picked up, but Balaj did not shiver, even if Briar did. Briar wasn't quite sure what made him shiver. The fact that Balaj was beyond spooked at the mere mention of a place he was about to head into, or that it was freezing. 

"Evil, eh?" Briar asked, trying not to sound spooked. He hoped Evvy didn't hear (or understand) anything he was saying, or he was sure she would insist that they turn around and go home immediately. 

So, when was he ever going to escape stubborn females again? 

Probably never. Life hated him like that. 

But now he had bigger problems than stubborn females. He had a frightened Trader who was scared beyond his wits, and a student who was about to freeze out of her skin. Plus, a stupid horse that was mad as hell at the load that Briar had burdened on it. 

The horse neighed indignantly, huffing directly at Briar. Briar just glared at it before Balaj spoke, "I wouldn't go there if I was you, my boy. Evil things. Nothing works there." Balaj pointed above and beyond the cliff, signaling towards the chilly expanse of Madab. "But it's because of an evil queen that lives there. She has evil magic, she does. Nothing works right there. Nature don't. Nothing is normal. Trees grow sideways and some places, there's lush green grass, other there is deadness. It's because of the magic that the evil queen has. She gets what she wants, nothing else. But I wouldn't go there to find out for myself. Wouldn't take that risk if I were you, my boy. No, not in million years, my boy." 

Briar swallowed thickly before shaking his head. He wasn't quite sure if believed Balaj or not. After all, trader's did have the reputation to be a bit on the superstitious side. Yet, there were ever practical. Daja was a living and breathing example of this. But, Briar knew what he had to do. And although life hated him, and Balaj was probably right and the evil queen would probably be like Lady Zenadia doa Attaneh and be the end of him, but hell, Briar figured that would happen some day or another. 

He knew that a female would eventually be the end of him. That was how life worked with him. 

So, with almost complete withered enthusiasm, Briar mounted himself on his horse and looked down at Balaj, "Thanks for the information, Balaj. I'll keep it in mind." He looked at the older man, seeing concern etched on his face, "And. . . I'll be careful. You have my word." He smiled crookedly at the older trader, before Balaj smiled back, if not a little sadly. 

"All right, your most freezing highness," Briar shouted over at Evvy, who was still shivering like a leaf in the breeze, "it's time to mount your royal steed and move on towards the dangerous road!" 

Evvy glared at him weakly, for she was still shivering. She rolled her eyes at his corny monologue before moving to her horse and mounting it. She looked down at Balaj and said, "Thank you," in Imperial, hoping he understood. She was about to ride before she caught of sight of the trader's concerned face. Pausing, she looked up at Briar in question. Her Pahan simply shrugged before riding onward. Frowning, Evvy was about to ride onward before she caught sight of the cliff. She looked it over, a defeated look in her eyes. Shaking her head, she trotted to keep up with Briar's horse, which wasn't hard to do since Briar was a horrible ride, and horses seemed to hate him. 

Briar, who heard Evvy ride next to him, nudged his horse forward, but the stupid thing just danced a little, making him bounce in the saddle. Frowning heavily, he commented, "Have I ever mentioned that I hate. . ." 

". . .That you hate horses," Evvy interrupted, shaking her head amusedly, "Yes, I believe that's been said quite a few times. But, I believe they hate you more than you hate them." With that, she grinned evilly at him. 

Briar simply glared at her. 

How exactly did he stuck with the most incorrigible girls in the world again? 

Oh, that's right! Life hated him. Life hated him, horses hated him. Briar couldn't think of anything better. 

He was about to say something to Evvy before a young girl came in front of him, smiling slyly. Briar immediately recognized her. It was Balaj's daughter, Fillahg. Her feet her bare, even though the ground was freezing and around her ankles were large, fake golden anklets. Her red lips curled up at him before she spoke, "Hello, Mage Briar." Her words were in accented Imperial, but it was considerably better than her father's. She batted her eyelashes at him. "Must you leave so soon? I was starting to very much enjoy your company." 

He found himself smiling dumbly at her, forgetting that Evvy was even near him. "Yeah, well your company wasn't too bad either." Briar winked at her, "Of coarse, I don't mind the company of any beautiful girl." With that, Fillagh giggled girlishly while blushing terribly. "I will miss you too, your highness." Then, taking her hand, Briar laid a light kiss on it flirtatiously. 

Fillagh blushed harder and smiled brightly at him, before staring intently into his eyes. "I will miss you. Please be careful. Gods be with you, and," she paused, before she bit her lip slyly, "Good luck." 

Briar gave her a crooked smile, feeling somewhat light-headed. He smiled once more at her before moving his horse onward. He rode for a few seconds, a stupid smile on his face before he realized that Evvy was next to him. He turned to her, a dumb smile still on his face. She had a raised eyebrow directed at him. 

"What?" He asked innocently, feeling a little surprised that she had been there all along. 

She smiled at him seductively before saying in a husky voice, "Good luck. . . my love." Then, rolling her shoulders, she made kiss-like motions with her lips. She hardly finished her monologue before she burst out laughing. 

Rolling his eyes, Briar snapped at her, "Cut it out. Remember who's the older one here." A blush filled his cheeks before he forced it back. He wasn't going to let his student embarrass him. "We got to go ten more miles to go before we reach our destination. Remember?"   
  
Evvy quit laughing before glancing up at him, "No, I don't remember. You haven't told us anything about our destination. Remember?" She looked at him questionably, a curious look in her eyes. 

He stared at her for a few seconds before thinking quietly. He didn't really want to scare her about where they were going, but he figured he had better give her the truth or he'd never hear the end of it. That's how Evvy was. So, feeling inside his pant pocket, he pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it, and glanced up at Evvy, "I'm going to read this letter here. It's the best way I can explain everything. Listen up, I'm only gonna read it once. Got it?" He was about to read it before he stopped, "Oh, and no stupid questions about the letter after I read it, 'kay?" Evvy nodded at him and then he went onward. 

The letter read: 

_Dear Briar,_

_I will be frank with you, this letter contains a great deal of information that could not be said in a single small letter. That's because you must read between the lines. But, knowing you, you will be able to do that._

_There has come a time when your magic is desperately needed. All that I can tell you in this letter is that is has to do with matters in the far off northern country of Madab. The Queen of Madab requests the visit of the four mages that she has heard so much of in the past years. This would involve all five of us traveling to the royal city of Sarai Island. This has to do with matters in her country, and without you, I'm afraid, cannot be fulfilled. The matters that need to be discussed cannot be said in this letter. They must be discussed in private. That is why I must insist that you meet myself and Sandry, Daja, and Tris at Madab face-to-face._

_There will be numerous stops on our trip to get to Sarai Island. And, I will be honest, there could be many dangers. I will not hide that this could be a dangerous encounter. But, then, perhaps it will not. Nothing is guaranteed._

_You will need to meet myself and Sandry, Daja, and Tris at the Snowy Tavern on the south of Madab. It is located just north of The Syth on a landmark called Tavern Hill. I have enclosed a map of the path that you should follow to get there._

_Your help in greatly needed at this time. I cannot explain much, but the future of Madab rests in you and the Winding circle hands. But, perhaps you have read that in my words already._

_Respectfully,_   
_Niklaren Goldeye_

Briar looked up at Evvy when he finished, only to see her face contorted in a deep concern grimace. He smiled at her before saying, "Don't look so concerned," he winked mischievously at her, "I already said your stupid cats could come along." 

Her shoulders slumped automatically and she frowned at him, "That's not why I'm concerned." She looked around and then up at the cliff. "Are we really in danger, Pahan Briar?" She asked, worry laced through her words. 

Great, she was starting to get all girly and Oh-I'm-getting-scared-hold-me-because-you're-a-brave-man kind of attitude. Briar sighed before winking at her, "Don't worry, I'm with you. You'll be safe." 

She tore her eyes from the cliff and glared at him before shaking her head, "Why doesn't that make me feel better?" She asked, a dry tone in her voice. 

Briar chuckled before forcing his stubborn horse onward. He was starting to think how long it was going to take to get to Snowy Tavern with a stubborn horse and a stubborn girl, before Evvy interrupted. 

"Can I ask you something?" 

Briar glanced at Evvy before shrugging. "Shoot," he said as he started heading up the canyon road. 

She looked back at the Balaj's caravan before asking, "What were you and Balaj talking about?" 

He almost stopped riding, but Briar forced himself to swallow thickly and ride onward. "Oh, just some old Trader legends. Folk tales, fiction. Nothing really." 

But, as he rode onward, he knew the words sounded like a dry and dead lie to even his own ears. 

_And so the story begins. . ._   
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Hey people! Like it, hate it? What did you think? Sandry, Tris, and Daja are gonna be in there next chapter, promise. And lots of more romance. It's just I kinda had to set up the story. That's why it's called a prologue. . . AHHA! Anyways, should I continue? I dunno, I'm not quite sure how it's all gonna unravel, but it will, (always does.) So, tell me what ya think. Oh yeah, Pahan means Mage or teacher. Just for those who haven't read Street Magic. (Which I HIGHLY suggest you read. It's the best. Really and truly.) 


	2. Drained

**Disclaimer: Do I write like Tamora Pierce? Didn't think so. So, therefore, unfortunately, I cannot make money on this story. So, don't sue me.**   
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_Think where man's glory most begins and ends, and say my glory was I had such friends_   
_ ~W.B. Yeats_

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**Chapter 1: Drained**   
  


It felt like they had traveled for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. Briar couldn't imagine what could make a ten mile journey longer other than the fact that he had to travel over a canyon and in about a foot of snow. 

And then, he was quickly reminded. 

"Are we there_ yet_?" Asked a long, whiny voice behind him, sounding about as tired and fatigued as himself. 

Briar nearly stopped his horse to glare at his companion, Evvy, but was too preoccupied by studying the map in his hand. According to the map, they were hopelessly lost. But Briar refused to admit this, for fear that Evvy would break down crying in complete despair. There was nothing Briar hated more than sappy, teary females. 

He traced his finger over the map of the Punaskawiee Canyon, trying to figure out where he made the wrong turn that lead him to the wrong destination. Unfortunately, there wasn't much to aid him in his search, for his surroundings where completely non-descript. Everywhere around him, there was a thick blanket of snow, and lots and lots of canyon walls. Only a few, scraggly, dying trees were scattered along the small pathway that he was attempting to follow. 

He hated to see such a dying atmosphere of plants. No, he took that back. Everything seemed dead here. The only thing that moved was the freezing wind that brought snow flowing into both of his and Evvy's eyes. 

Cursing, Briar heard Evvy complaining in the background about how much she wanted a warm bed and some kind of food. But he ignored her and averted his eyes from off his map to a small pine tree that grew adjacent to the pathway. The poor, sickly thing swayed in the breeze, and Briar suddenly felt a wave of compassion and hurt flow through his body. This was no place for a tree to grow, but somehow, the poor tree was fighting fiercely to grow. Wishing he could help, but knowing it would simply hurt the tree more, Briar reached out to it, hoping that it could answer him. He asked: _Do you know where I can find the Snowy Tavern?_

The tree swayed in the breeze for a few seconds before answering. _Over this wall_, it said, melancholy laced through its tone, _over the hill lies Tavern Hill. _It paused, and Briar was about to thank it, before it spoke again, _Turn back._

Briar stopped his horse and glanced at the tree suspiciously. Raising an eyebrow, he asked: _Why? Why must I turn back?_

It just responded again: _Turn back, turn back, turn back. . . ._ It repeated itself as its words got carried away by the sudden strong wind. The wind kicked up a great amount of snow and blew it in Briar's eyes, but he ignored it. 

He was starting to get the serious creeps about this place. And he was about to ask the tree a little about Madab before he was interrupted. 

"Good Gods, Briar! It's. . . . FREEZINGGGGG!!!! When are we going to get there, already?" Evvy's glared helplessly at Briar from behind, not understanding why he suddenly stopped. She had the weirdest feeling in the pit of her stomach that he didn't know a flip about where they were heading. And that was bad for her and her cats. 

Briar rolled his eyes at her persistent whining before glaring back at her, "If you would quit you're whining, I would have told you that we're close. We've just gotta get over this last canyon wall, and we're there." 

Evvy slumped her shoulders and gave him an exasperated look. "That's what you said at the last canyon wall," She scolded, placing her hands on her hips, giving him a look that pleaded him to get her out of the freezing atmosphere. 

"Well, I lied," Briar snapped, fed up with the whining and the cold. His nerves were starting to run raw from the constant begging and the stupid snow that was constantly blowing in his eyes. Plus, he was anxious to see everyone again. He had preoccupied himself for days thinking how Daja, Tris and Sandry had might of changed and how they might have stayed the same. And then, he realized how he might have changed, and how he had. Even physically he seemed different. He had glanced himself over in the mirror the other day, not realizing how he had changed so much from when he left Discipline. And since he changed so much, he wondered how differently all the "gang" had changed also. . . 

"Are we going already?" Came an irritated voice from Briar's back. He turned around, finding Evvy looking at him expectantly, a weary frown on her face. 

Rolling his eyes, Briar nudged his horse onward. But the horse, hating Briar like it did, revolted and took off in a gallop. Briar, shocked stupid, fumbled with his reigns to try to get the beast under control. His legs flapped helplessly at the horses side, and, with great effort, managed to grip both reigns in his hands and pull back. The horse obeyed, stopping instantaneously and sending Briar over the head of it. Doing a complete front flip, Briar landed on his backside painfully. Groaning, he sat on the snow-packed ground for a few seconds, shock still. 

Evvy watched in astounded silence, her mouth agape. But, after a few silent seconds, she burst out laughing. She rocked in her saddle from fits of laughter, her whole body shaking. She had seen Pahan Briar do a lot of stupid things, but this had to be the best of all. She sat for a few seconds before riding her horse up to Briar's side. 

Hearing her laughter, Briar glared up at Evvy and gave her a this-isn't-funny look. That only sent her into further laughter. 

Feeling exasperated, Briar picked himself up from the ground, groaning at the acute pain in his backside. Looking up at Evvy, he managed to mumble, "Did I ever mention that I hate. . ." 

"That you hate horses," Evvy finished, her laughter somewhat subsiding. "Yes, you've already said that today." She laughed some more, her horse standing obediently and patiently. "Come on, Pahan Briar. I think it's time for you to quit, 'horsing around' and get over this wall." She chuckled at her joke, giving him a smart smile, before nudging her horse onward. It obeyed, content to do whatever she willed. 

Briar glared at her, hoping his stare would burn large, painful holes in her back. 

So, jokester was she? Well, haha. . .not. 

Briar rolled his eyes before brushing off the snow off his back end, mounting his horse, and following Evvy to climb the mountain wall. 

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When Briar and Evvy finally got over the last canyon wall, they stood on the other side in a bit of astonishment. All around them was grassland, even if most of the grass was a dead, brownish hue. There was a small snowfall, but most of the snow melted as soon as hit the ground. In front of both of them was small brown and green knoll in which small buildings dotted the tops of it. All the buildings had numerous horses tied to steaks outside of them, for the weather on the other side of the canyon was considerably more mild. 

Briar simply stared in complete astonishment before looking back at the canyon. Behind him, it continued to snow in heavy blankets, and a howling wind could still be heard. Furrowing his eyebrows he glanced back to the knoll before glancing down at his map. Tracing his finger along the map, Briar realized that he was back on the normal, laid out path. The knoll in front of him was Tavern Hill, and the first tavern to the right of his vision was Snowy Tavern. 

He suddenly felt himself get nervous. He bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he winced before tasting blood. Cursing silently, he shifted in his saddle before nudging his horse. He glanced back at Evvy and nodded forward, "all right, your highest highness. You got what you wanted. We're almost there." She simply glared at him in confusion. His shoulders sagged before he looked at her expectantly, "Well. . .?" 

Evvy looked around her surroundings strangely before cocking her head at him, "I think we're both dillusional. There is no possible way that there can be that much of a climate change in this little of distance." One of her cats popped out of her side baskets and meowed almost in agreement. 

He had to agree with her on the strange climate change. It seemed to strange to be true. In fact, for two seconds Briar thought he might be dillusional himself. But, from the acute pain in his backside, he figured that if he was dreaming or dillusional, the pain would have brought him to his senses by then. Yet, he was still seeing a grassland in shrill contrast with the barren background behind him. 

However, he didn't want to wait any longer to see his foster-sisters. So, he simply shrugged before waving Evvy onward, "I don't think we're dillusional," he paused before winking at her, "you might be, but I sure ain't. Besides, if we are dillusional, it sure beats everything from being in that canyon." He smiled at her, trying to prod her onward, "Come on, Evvy. Let's get in some place warm." 

One of Evvy's cat had crawled out of the basket and was cuddled between her shoulders. She bit her lip before glancing back at the canyon. She stared behind her shoulder for a few, brief seconds before she shrugged and nudged her horse onward. Briar waited until she got along side him before they both started riding on. 

They rode in silence for a few minutes before Evvy finally spoke, "I have a bad feeling about this--" 

"Girls always have a bad feeling 'bout everything," Briar broke in, his voice a bit more joking and chipper now that his spirits were raised with the prospect that he was going to see Daja, Tris, and Sandry. 

Evvy sighed in frustration before nudging her horse forward so that she was ahead of Briar, "Like I was saying," she paused, giving Briar an evil glare. He simply gave her a crooked grin before winking smugly, "I have a bad feeling about this place. It's just that. . .it's that," she paused thoughtfully, stroking the fur on her cat, "It's just that, the canyon was so. . .dead. The rocks there seemed so sad." Evvy lowered her head down to her lap, eyebrows scrunched together. 

Briar glanced quickly up at Evvy, a little suspicious. So, she had felt it too. The deadness, the hopelessness, the sadness. He had hoped that Evvy hadn't felt it. But she had. And Briar had noticed something else. His magic suddenly felt odd. Like it was being used. But that was impossible. Briar shook his head, trying to erase the strange ideas. His magic shouldn't feel like it was being used, he had it under control. It wouldn't leave his body unless he consented for it too. But nevertheless, the draining sort of feeling was throughout his entire body. 

He shook his head again and tried to ignore it. They had reached the pathway that winded up the knoll. There was a small village that rested on top of the small hill and people were hustling in and out of their little stone houses. They were speaking rapidly in a language that Briar couldn't pick up. He had learned some of Madab's confusing, official language, and quite frankly, he thought if talking Trader talk with Balaj hadn't already broken a tooth, he would either break a tooth or bight off his tongue with Madab's language. Everything in the language was either, "que," or "tee" sound and sometimes, to Briar's utmost enjoyment, a mix of both. 

Need less to say, Briar was highly dreading the conference with the queen. 

Evvy was watching skeptically from her perch atop her horse. Many of the people she saw looked very much alike. Everyone had pale skin, dark hair, and blue eyes. She had an odd feeling that she would fit in more than her Pahan would. And, as they rode into town, her hypothesis was quite correct. Many people stopped what they were doing and gave suspicious glances to them. Then, as they passed them, they would break out in their strange language, but, to Evvy's annoyance, she couldn't understand a word they were saying. She supposed that had something to do with the fact that Pahan Briar had only taught her how to say four different phrases in Madabian. One of which was, "Pahan Briar is the best mage in the world." Briar had thought it comical. Evvy hadn't. 

Briar was as equally confused at what the locals were saying. He could perhaps understand them if they were saying it about ten times slower than they were. Sometimes he could pick up phrases and words, but he could never put them in a complete sentence. But, Briar wasn't really focusing on the conversations of the people around him. He was focussing on the Tavern that lay about a hundred yards in front of him. It had a small sign hanging from it's rooftop that said, "Snowy Tavern." 

Biting his lip, Briar felt something flip over in his stomach. Either it was nervousness or hunger. Briar convinced himself it was hunger. After all, why would he be nervous? Briar shook his head, making a piece of his ebony hair fall in front of his eyes. Images ran through his head, memories rushing through his mind. Memories of himself and the girls. The last time they had parted ways, well, it had nearly been four years now. Briar knew how much he had changed, and now he contemplated how much the girls might have also. Oh sure, he knew physically they had changed, but he wondered if time had changed their personalities. Briar licked his lips while he approached the Snowy Tavern. 

He just had to keep repeating: Not nervous, not nervous, not nervous. . . 

Yeah right. 

Evvy and Briar arrived at the front door of the Tavern and quickly realized that the small Tavern already had travelers inside of it. Realizing that the travelers might be Tris, Daja, or Sandry, the butterflies in his stomach elevated to an unhealthy level. Briar thought he was going to puke. As he got down from his horse, everything that he did seemed sluggish and awkward. Something rolled in his stomach. 

Evvy had been watching her Pahan from the longest time, and had finally decided to keep a distance from him just in case he decided to "let go" of his breakfast. His face looked ashen and distressed, and it had all come when they were within view of the Snowy Tavern. Evvy shook her head. She knew that she could never figure out Pahan Briar. 

Taking her sacks off her horse, Evvy felt her new kitten, Emerald, wiggle inside. Smiling, Evvy opened the sack and the small kitten jumped out frantically. Emerald escaped Evvy's grasp and it fell into the snow with a small "meow." Evvy giggled before shaking her head. "Now, now, Emerald," she scolded sweetly, "you have to be careful while we're here. Pahan Briar will not put up with your silly prantics. Right, Pahan Briar?" Evvy cuddled the kitten, waiting for Briar's response. When she received none, she looked up quickly to see her Pahan gone, the door for the Snowy Tavern swinging on its hinges. Frowning, Evvy put the cat on her shoulder and quickly tied both Briar's and her horses up. Then, with a impatient sigh, she proceeded inside the Snowy Tavern. 

Briar couldn't wait for Evvy and her stupid cats. Something was pulling him inside, and he had a feeling it was the girls. The last thing he remembered was charging inside Snowy Tavern and looking around like a madman. The door to the tavern slammed against the wall, as the wind howl into the warm-ish room. The whole place froze with surprise at Briar's dashing entrance and much of it got very silent. The place was a gigantic bar from the looks of it. The Tavern's rooms looked like they were behind the kitchen/bar. Tables were set disorderely around the room and pale-skinned, dark-haired Madabians were seated on the tables. They all looked up at him as soon as he entered and there was an eerie quiet. Gulping, Briar took a step back and glanced around the room. 

"Uh, hey," he managed to stutter, his eyes are little wide, "I'm, uh, what I mean is-- My name is Briar. " The place looked at him blankly, "I'm, uh, looking for some people. . .?" 

Well, if he didn't feel like an idiot. The Madabians simply looked at him as if he were some kind of mutant freak-of-nature. 

He stood there for a few seconds, before someone in the back of the room started laughing. Briar looked up quickly, deciding that this person was going to have to die a slow, painful death. One thing he hated was being laughed at. . . no matter how stupid he looked. But when Briar glanced at who was laughing at him, he breathed a somewhat sigh of relief. 

It was Daja. She was sitting at a table in the back of the disorderly room, seated with two other people that Briar recognized immediately. It was Niko and Tris. They all had huge smiles on their faces, before both of them started laughing too. 

Briar glared at them. So they thought that was funny, eh? Briar shook his head, before rolling his eyes. Smiling, Briar walked up to the back of the room, watching as Daja and Tris were nearly crying in their laughter. Niko was trying to be polite, but his laughter was still evident. 

When he reached their table, Daja and Tris both stood up, still laughing. Daja held her arms wide open, before Briar embraced her in a large hug. Daja's chest still fell up and down from laughter, but she managed to say, "It's good to have you around again, Kaq." 

Briar rolled his eyes. "Don't know if I can say the same thing about you." Daja pulled back from him before punching him playfully in the shoulder. Briar looked down at her before faking mock hurt and grabbing his shoulder. Daja merely rolled her eyes, before looking him over. 

"Well, I suppose the ONLY thing that's changed is that you've gotten taller," Daja remarked, eying him. Once, she had been head and shoulders taller than Briar, but now she could barely look him eye-to-eye. And, frankly, it was a bit of a surprise to Briar 

She hadn't changed much, Daja hadn't. Her long black hair was braided like normal, but it was pulled back from her face and away from her deep black eyes, while her darker skin contrasted with her large, white smile. Briar shook his head in relief. Some things were better off never changing, and Daja's physical appearance not changing comforted him. Even if it just barely did. 

"Well," cut in a tart voice from behind Briar and Daja, "I hope you don't think you can have him to yourself ALL day?" 

Briar rolled his eyes. . . oh, the infamous Tris. 

She was standing behind them both, her arms crossed across her chest, trying to fake annoyance. However, she was failing miserably. He laughed at her before walking up to her. 

Glancing at Tris, Briar could see some more evident changes. Her hair was much longer and it was straighter. Although she was still short and more on the plump side, she was more, er, Briar decided, voluptuous than plump. 

His thoughts were interrupted sharply, "What do you think YOU'RE looking at. . .?" 

Shaking his head, Briar smirked at her, "Still as pleasant as ever, I see." 

Tris raised an eyebrow before sticking her tongue out at him, "You're just jealous, Plant Boy." Briar faked hurt, and Tris mock-glared at him for a few seconds, before both laughed. Tris rolled her eyes, still smiling, before hugging Briar tightly around the waist. 

Woah. A little emotional there. 

Briar shook off his surprise, and hugged her back. "Yeah, it's good to see you too, weather witch," Briar said to Tris, who was still hugging him. She continued to hug him, until Briar suddenly felt awkward, and he supposed Tris suddenly felt so also. She pulled away like she had suddenly been burned and glared at him. 

"That's about as nice as I'm gonna get on this trip, so just remember that," She snapped, her normal facet back again. Crossing her arms across her chest, she looked like a solid piece of ol' stubbornness. 

Briar rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind," he replied back, his voice heavy on the sarcasm. He laughed at Tris' expression after he said this. She scrunched her face up, obviously faking her annoyance. 

Niko was the same as always. Briar was starting to wonder if the man EVER aged. Probably not. He'd probably be an old man before Niko turned a day older. 

Briar managed to shake hands with Niko before, exchanging the regular, "How have you been?", and, "What have you been up to lately," and other mindless conversation. Daja and Tris managed to engage everyone in the conversation of what's been going on, things about Frostpine and Lark, and blah, blah, blah, blah. . . . 

It wasn't until about five minutes later that a sharp, annoyed voice sounded behind Briar's back, "Thanks for remembering about me. And the horses, they're all tied up. No, don't even mention it." Briar knew the voice instantly. 

Evvy. Whoop-de-do. 

Briar turned around and frowned at her. She simply glared back at him, a frown on her face also. And her frown look much more annoyed. Her arms were dangling at her sides and a worn expression was painted across her face. Simply looking at her made Briar tired. And annoyed. Definitely annoyed. 

"Guys," Briar started, taking Evvy to the side and holding her by the shoulder, "This is Evvy. I think you all know how I came so blessed to become her teacher." 

Evvy glared at him. Briar ignored her. 

Daja laughed pleasantly before shaking her head. "I had one of those myself. Didn't bring him though. Too much of a pain." She stood up and before extending a friendly hand to Evvy, "Not to say that you will be, young lady. Welcome to our small little circle here." 

Immediately talking a sudden liking to Daja, Evvy smiled shyly at her before shaking the extended hand. "I'm pretty glad to be here," she stated, but then added tartly, "except for the fact that I really don't know EXACTLY WHAT I'm doing here. . ." she quickly looked at Briar accusedly, giving him a guilt ridden stare. 

Briar heard the exaggerated words and glared down at Evvy. Why, oh why, did she have to be so annoying right now? She was NEVER this annoying. But, he supposed he hadn't been the most cherry person in the world lately, given they had just spent the last 14 hours riding in a drippy wagon, navigating through a freezing canyon and there was still the thing that bothered Briar in the back of his mind. His magic. . . it felt so drained. Briar would swear it was being used. . . but that was totally ridiculous. . . right? Yes, of coarse. 

Shaking his head, Briar glanced down at Evvy before stating, "You know that I don't know any more than you do." He paused before glancing innocently over at Niko, "Unless something wants to be disclosed now." 

Niko's cool blue eyes looked calmly at Briar, before he chuckled. Folding his hands, he shook his head. "I'm afraid I have to wait until everyone is here until I can tell any of you anything." 

It was then it dawned on Briar that the entire group was not there. He had been so excited when he had seen Tris and Daja that he had completely forgotten about that there was still one that lacked from the table. 

Sandry. . . . 

Looking around the tavern, half expecting to see Sandry's pop up from the still suspicious Madabian's tables, he asked, "When is Sandry supposed to arrive?" Then, after scanning the bar, he turned back to Tris and Daja. 

Both of them exchanged anxious glances, their eyes twinkling with some kind of secret that instantly irked Briar. He watched then as they looked at each other, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. 

Great, something else that he needed to worry about. Other than meeting the Madabian Queen, Evvy, and her stupid cats. . . 

Tris finally spoke, her voice hinged with a bit of concern, "Sandry's already arrived, Briar. She went in her room to rest an hour ago. . . she should be back soon." 

A voice suddenly sounded from the doorway that led into the Tavern's rooms. "Sooner than you think actually." 

Briar recognized the voice immediately. It was Sandry. Smiling smugly, Briar was about to say something around the lines of "On time as usual, 'yer highness," but the words died fast in his mouth, so that all that was left was a dumb glance at Sandry. 

She was leaning on the door frame, in a casual sort of manner. For the first time in forever, she was wearing britches, but they were made out of warm looking leather and her large, thick leather boots, that came to the top of her calves, tucked into her britches. Her face was lighted softly by the firelight that lit the entire tavern by the large fireplace at the wall adjacent to them. Some of her hair had escaped the large mound of braids on top of her head and fluttered into her large blue eyes, that glittered softly. She was smiling softly at him, and all Briar could find himself to do was stare at her in disbelief. 

Instructions how to look stupid: 1. Stare blankly at someone, with your mouth slightly agape. . . 

Sandry continued to look at him before she giggling softly, "I don't look _that_ bad, do I?" She stopped leaning against the door frame before making her way inside the bar area. 

Briar snapped out of his aura, before chuckling himself, "Hey, not that bad. . . I'll always look better though, a handsome guy like me." With that, he flashed her a smug grin that made her instantly laugh at him. But, her laugh didn't exactly make Briar feel that much better. There was something so incredibly. . . sad in it, is made him instantly worried. 

She didn't give him much of a chance to be worried however. She quickly enveloped him in a tight embrace, still giggling. "It's awful good to see you again, Briar," she whispered quietly in his ear. 

There it was again. . . the sadness. Her voice sounded so weighted with some kind of tired sadness that felt like a damp washcloth was thrown on any excitement that Briar had towards seeing her. But, instead of expresses his feelings, he simply cracked, "Yeah, I'd imagine it would be nice seeing me. . . " 

Sandry chuckled before drawing back from him. Giving him a mock frown, she punched him playfully in the arm. "You sure haven't changed, any." She then smiled at him, her eyes glittering, but oddly sad. 

Her smile didn't reach her eyes. That troubled Briar. A lot. 

Suddenly, Sandry caught sight of Evvy, who was eyeing her shyly. Sandry smiled at her, before saying, "You must be Evvy. Briar has said a lot of good things about you." 

Evvy, shocked at Sandry's words, looked at Briar in surprise. Briar simply rolled his eyes and snorted. Blinking at Briar, Evvy turned to Sandry before stating, "He's said a lot of good things about you." Evvy had meant it as a compliment, but instead Sandry's eyes turned darker and. . . sad. Scrunching up her eyebrows, Evvy was about to apologize, but instead the girl, Tris, interjected. 

"Well, now that everyone is here, you can tell us exactly why we are here." She turned towards Niko, raising her eyebrows, "Don't think that I'm going to sit here pretending I'm getting everything that is going on." 

Niko eyed her coldly before turning to everyone. "I know everyone must be curious to the true descriptions why they are here, and I do understand your impatience." He then reached inside his large cloak and pulled out four envelopes. "However, this is not the place to discuss such matters. Inside these envelopes are all the information that you need to know for now." Raising his bushy eyebrows, he passed the envelopes to Briar, Daja, Tris, and Sandry, before adding, "And, most importantly, you must read these letters in your own private quarters tonight. Then, you are to burn them." 

Sandry looked quietly at her letter before asking, "What about Pasco?" 

So, she brought the infamous Pasco. Great. Briar managed to suppress rolling his eyes. 

"Pasco is to know as little as possible about this. . . and that goes for Evvy too, Briar," Niko replied, before he stood up slowly, his eyes still on everyone. "Now, if you will excuse me, I am quite tired. I am going to retire for now." With that, he retreated into the room section of the Snowy Tavern. 

Briar and the crew exchanged glances before shrugging. They then chatted with each other for quite awhile, each one discussing their adventures of late, and other things that made girls laugh, and made Briar want to go puke. Yet, throughout the entire intercourse, he never saw the smile reach Sandry's eyes. 

And her laugh always, _always_, seemed tired. 

Briar retired at promptly ten o'clock, when it looked like Evvy was about to fall off her chair in complete exhaustion. Everyone wished him good-night, and Sandry decided to retire with him. 

As they walked down the hallway towards their rooms, Briar observed the dark circles around Sandry's eyes and the way she yawned about thirty times. At the end of the hallway, he turned to her and said, "Good-night for now, Sandry." 

She looked up with him again, sadness swimming in her eyes, "Good-night, Briar." She smiled a weary smile before retreating inside her room. 

Briar frowned before heading inside his own room. He didn't know why he felt so tired, but he felt mentally and physically drained. He quickly changed into a warm pair of night-clothes. Nearly fainting into his bed, Briar remembered Niko's letter and quickly ripped into it. 

He read: 

_Dear Briar,_

_By the time you read this, I will already be gone. I'm sorry this whole operation is so secretive, but if you knew how a delicate this situation is, you would fully understand. I cannot even disclose any intimate information in this private letter._

_Tomorrow, you are to ride to The Pingo of Nuuk, where you will find Duke Eraged te Unswa, who is in relation to the Queen of Madab. He will disclose the information that you desire to know._

_There is a map enclosed, but there will a guide tomorrow to take you there. You will simply address her as Dasnie. She will find you._

_Sincerely,_   
_Niko_

Briar read with tired disbelief. If he didn't feel so drained, he would've ridden and strangled Niko for more information. But, being as tired as he was, simply threw the paper in the fireplace and shrugged into his covers. In a matter of seconds, he was asleep. 

Briar dreamed that he was walking through a large evergreen forest, and the trees were screaming at him. _Turn back_, they screamed, while he heard Balaj's voice echoing in his mind, "Madab's an evil place." He ran through the forest, scared beyond belief, but seeing a large light above. As he approached the light, he saw the back of a woman and a small child. He yelled at them for help, but when they turned around, Briar gasped. It was Sandry and a small girl. And they both had the same sad eyes, which peered at him and haunted him. 

Briar woke up in a panic, sweat dripping down his forehead. He looked around his room. The room showed evidence that everything was normal and in its place. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced at his window that was overhead. Sunlight trickled through it. 

The new day had come. 

___________________________ 

_Hehe, this is kinda late, no? Sorry, but you will be pleased to know that it is roughly ten pages long. Okay, maybe that's a bad thing, but still. . ._   
_Well, hope you guys like it. This plots kinda complex and hell, I don't even know exactly what's gonna happen. So, if you got any ideas, please feel free to tell me. (Ah, the power of the reader!)_

_Oh, like my new pen-name? I was getting sick of dusting crops, so it got changed. And, also, would anyone like a Circle Of Magic fansite? 'Cause I was thinking of making one, if anyone was interested. If I do, I'll probably put fanfics on it, so that means more "publicity" for us few and scattered COM writers._

_Well, better go. .. I'm boring you!_

_Oh yeah, would you mind reviewing. . .? Please?_   
  
  
  
  
  



	3. The Best Deceptions

_Disclaimer: Oh, look, I'm Tamora Pierce! I don't really don't have to write a disclaimer! Er, just kidding. Not making money, etc. Don't sue me. This is FOR FREAKIN' FUN!!_   
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_Love is like having a fever. . . When a man is in love, he endures more than at other times; he submits to everything._   
_ ~Friedrich Nietzche_

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Managing to nearly fall into his clothes, Briar had little time to actually brush his hair and bathe (not that he really wanted to anyway.) Cursing as he pulled on his heavy, leather boots, he heard a heavy knock on his door. 

"Oh, dammit. . . Who is it?" He managed to yell through clenched teeth, finding his leather boot being more stubborn than he wished it to be. 

"Pahan, Briar, you're late." 

It was Evvy. 

Frowning, Briar shook his head before giving his boot a final defiant tug. It snapped onto his foot, finding to be very painful to the heel of his foot. He cursed loudly, before biting his knuckle to keep himself from cursing again. As much as he was sure that Evvy heard him curse all the time anyways, he didn't really want her having the mouth of a sailor. Usually didn't look to attractive on a girl. 

Briar stood up, but not before nearly slipping on a slick part of the floor. He nearly cursed again, but he bit his tongue, and picked up his large pack and strapped it on his back. Practically running towards the door, Briar nearly collided into Evvy. 

Evvy, shocked at her Pahan's sudden exit, opened her eyes somewhat wide, before she looked him up in the face. Blinking softly, she looked in the room behind him and then again glanced at Briar. "What exactly were you doing in there?" She asked, as a wipe of skepticism flashed across her face. 

Wanting nothing more than to give a good retort, Briar managed to stutter, "What exactly are you doing, _here_?" 

Evvy was obviously not hurt of offended. Instead, she looked at him blankly before stating, "Well, unlike some people, I woke up on time. Tris and Daja are already up and ready and waiting outside. They wanted me to see if you were up." 

"I was 'up'," Briar said, rolling his eyes. He then managed to get past Evvy in the doorway and start heading out of the Snowy Tavern. But then, he stopped in his tracks. Furrowing his eyebrows together, he walked back a few paces and glanced at Sandry's door. It was half-way closed, and it looked like quite a bit of stuff was still lying around the room. Something was wrong, Briar could feel it. 

And he was never wrong about these kinds of things. 

Peeking his head into the room, he looked about. A suitcase lay on an already made bed, but several pieces of jewelry were lying on her bed stand. He stood like this for awhile, knowing full well that Evvy was looking at him strangely behind him. Briar ignored it. 

"Sandry?" He asked quietly, but no one answered. Biting his lip, he slowly pushed the door open and walked inside. The room smelled pleasant, smelled like Sandry. . . Briar decided that he always liked the way Sandry smelled. It reminded him of a mix between the large roses and tulips that he grew in his garden. Briar didn't linger long on the smell, for, as he was looking around the room, the corner of his eye caught sight of dim, flickering light coming from the bathroom that was adjacent to Sandry's bed. Figuring it was the bathroom, Briar rolled his eyes and started to make his way out of the room. 

Figures . . . girls can be in the bathroom for centuries upon centuries. 

And that's when he heard it. The most gut wrenching sound he had ever heard. It sounded like someone had punched Sandry so hard in the stomach, that she had purged up every ounce of food that was present in her. It made Briar's blood freeze immediately in his veins, and he turned on his heels almost immediately. He stared in shock at the bathroom door, not knowing whether he should run into the bathroom or he should run outside Sandry's room altogether. 

His heart was beating from utter shock, when the door opened and Sandry walked out. Her face was completely ashen, almost a sickly green, and her usually braided hair was down, with only a single braid that encompassed her entire head. Her clothes were neat, but somewhat wrinkled and her eyes had turned to a dull shade of light blue. 

Sandry almost immediatly recognized that someone else was in the room. She looked up sharply, her eyes flashing in surprise. When she saw Briar, who was staring at her as if her head had grown three fingers, she blinked at him before smiling weakly. 

"Hey," she greeted, her voice ragged and tired, and her eyes drooping. She looked at him for a few seconds before smiling some more. But, Briar noticed, the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. When they had stood in silence for a quite a few awkward moments, Sandry lifted her eyebrows and said, "Is there something wrong?" 

Brought back to reality, Briar blinked before frowning. "I might be asking you the same thing, because it sure as hell doesn't sound like you feel very good." He walked closer to her and examined her. Although she looked pretty bad, it suddenly dawned on Briar how. . . different Sandry had become. He could remember when she once was the tiny, scawny, little girl that had too small a nose for her face. She had always been pretty, and it had been awkward for Briar to be around her when he was a mere fourteen years old. Everyone else had been painfully aware of how pretty she had was, especially all of his male acquaintances, who were constantly joking each other as to who would get to marry her. But now, she was much different. Much different. Much to Briar's surprise, she had surely grown up. In fact, she was down right lovely. 

Briar caught himself in mid-thought, and shook his head. He knew he couldn't be feeling like that. . . he could never feel like that. 

During the period, Sandry had slowly backed away and her eyes had grown slightly brighter. She blinked at Briar, before biting her lip. "So, you heard me, you heard me. . . " 

Briar looked down at her, before saying, "Yeah, I heard you." Looking down into her eyes, Briar was surprised to see what he saw. A quick flash of fear rushed through Sandry's eyes, before it was quickly shielded with a look of tired reflection and a weary brow. She started to back away from him, but Briar grabbed her arm and looked harder at her, "Something's going on, Sandry. Something's wrong. You can tell me whatever it is." He held tight to her arm, and to Briar's surprise, Sandry didn't struggle. "Sandry, you can trust me." 

For a few brief seconds, it looked to Briar that Sandry might finally cave. Tears swam in her large, blue eyes, and she opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it as quickly. She forced the tears away from her eyes and managed to smile at Briar. "It's okay, Briar. _I'm_ okay. . . something just didn't settle in my stomach last night. I'll be alright." With that, she managed to slither away from Briar's grip and grab her suitcase off her bed. She smiled at Briar before saying, "You should get out there. You know how Tris gets when your late." Saying that, Sandry raised her eyebrows comically. 

Briar just stared at her, before cracking a half-reluctant grin. "So, how do you think she'll feel about me calling her Coppercurls?" 

Sandry laughed, and this time Briar could tell it was a real laugh, and her smile almost reached her eyes. "I'd say," Sandry smirked, "about as much as she used to."   
  
They stared at each other for a few seconds, before each chuckled and started to head out Sandry's door. 

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When Sandry, Briar, and Evvy reached the outdoors, they were greeted immediatly by Tris and Daja, if not a bit grumpily. Also, were one other person, who was a young teenager, about a year older than Evvy. His wavy black hair fell in front of his eyes, and he looked antsy on top of his horse. 

When Sandry saw him, she sighed but introduced him to both Briar and Evvy. "This," she started, with a bit of reluctance, "Is my student, Pasco. Pasco, this is Briar and Evvy." 

The boy stared at Briar for a few seconds, his eyes slightly suspicious, before he said, "I've heard a lot about you." His voice was hinged with something that made Briar raise an appraising eyebrow. Was it. . . jealousy? 

Briar half-smiled at Pasco before turning to Sandry. "So. . . I see what you mean." Sandry looked back at him, her hair blowing in the cool Madab wind. She rolled her eyes in an agreeing sort of way. They both seemed to think that Briar and Pasco get along about as much as Rosethorn and Crane did. 

Evvy looked from her Pahan to Lady Sandry for a few seconds before swallowing suspiciously. She had never seen Briar look at any girl the way he looked at Sandry. It wasn't a romantic look-- at least Evvy didn't think so-- but it was more a complete, utter look of concern. She bit her lip before shrugging. Turning to Pasco, she nodded at him and said, "It's nice to meet you." 

Pasco looked down surprisingly at Evvy before smiling pleasantly. "Nice to meet you, too. . . Evvy." Evvy smiled back at him, before looking back at her Pahan. He now had both Evvy and his horse by the reigns and was looking directly at her, his lips pursed together and his eyebrows raised slightly. Evvy confused, look at him questionably, before he simply shook his head and mounted his horse. 

When Briar mounted his horse, it immediatly seemed to recognize it's rider and it bounced in indignation. Briar choose to ignore the thing. He couldn't, and would never, win the war against horses. When he was seated on his horse, he looked around the small group of mages and then finally recognized that someones else was among them. 

It was a young woman, tall in her horses saddle. She looked at both Briar and Sandry, her dark gaze piercing into them silently. Unlike most Madabians, the young woman had long, extremely pale, snowy white hair that came down past the middle of her back. Her eyes, also, contrasted most Madabians, for they were round and black, and the only emotion Briar could find was a strongness. She blinked rarely, and her lips never made a twitch. 

Everyone stared at her for a few seconds, even Tris and Daja, who had been out much earlier than Sandry and Briar. At the same time, they all exchanged surprised looks. 

Finally, Tris spoke, "Uh. . . hello? Do we know you?" 

The woman tore her gaze from both Sandry and Briar and glanced at Tris. Her stare rested for a few uncomfortable seconds before she said, unemotionally, "No." 

Briar exchanged a glance with Tris, whose curly hair was braided prettily on top of her head, but some of it still fell in front of her confused eyes. Looking up at the young woman, he asked, "Well. . . _should_ we know you?" 

"Yes. You should." 

This time, Evvy leaned over and was about to whisper something in Briar's ear, but the young woman interrupted them. "My name is Dasnie. Your names are Tris, Daja, Briar, Sandry, Pasco, and Evvy." Each time she said any of their names, she nodded at them. Everyone just stared at her in amazement before she said, with a strong and unemotional voice, "I am to take you to the Pingo of Nuuk. We must begin now or we will not arrive there until tomorrow." 

Everyone was too surprised to respond, and when she turned and started to head down the pathway that lead down from the Snowy Tavern, all they could do was follow the mysterious pale woman. 

As they passed the taverns on each side of the road, all the females of the group responded at the same time, "I've got a bad feeling about this." Neither of them seemed to notice the strange coincidence and Briar looked at everyone in surprise. Nobody stared back. Instead, they looked onward in concern, all of their eyebrows knitted in concern. 

Briar rolled his eyes. Females. 

After they had rode down Tavern Hill, all the time riding in strange silence, Briar managed to steal a look at Sandry. Her face was knitted in concern as all the rest, but there was something else there. Briar bit his lips and pondered the face. It was as if she was a little fairy, held captive in a stange and fearful wind and her face was ever looking into the wind. Her long ashy-blonde hair fell down to the middle of her back, but it was constantly blowing to the front of her face. She payed no heed to it however, and it seemed that, although Sandry's body was present in Madab, her mind was somewhere terribly elsewhere, and her eyes were showing that it wasn't a pleasant place at all. 

Briar bit the inside of his cheek, before running his tongue over his teeth thoughtfully. Stealing another glance at Sandry, Briar frowned. 

He suddenly had a bad feeling about this journey into Madab as well. 

------------------------------------ 

They had been traveling for what seemed like miles upon miles, all the while, to Briar's utmost annoyance, Evvy and Pasco found it their responsibilities to talk the entire while. As much as he enjoyed talking to everybody else, there was a time for silence. Obviously, Evvy nor Pasco understood this concept. 

He was about to tell them to be quiet for the eightieth time, but instead, Daja interjected. "Sandry," she started, caution obvious in her voice, "do you need to stop? You don't look so good." 

Dasnie stopped her horse and turned to Sandry, her large black eyes piercing and unemotional, but nevertheless, interested. Finally, saying in her stiff manner, "If you need a rest, we can stop for awhile. We have gone faster than I had expected, Emp--" 

"It's just Sandry, thank you," Sandry interjected, almost reading Danie's mind. Briar, confused, look at Sandry, but she didn't look back. Instead she sighed, before nodding. "Yes, I suppose I could use a rest." 

Briar exchanged a look with Tris, but instantanously, Tris looked away. He was starting to get extremely frustrated with the obvious secret that Daja and Tris were keeping from him. Blinking, Briar turned to Sandry, and saw that she was making her way off the horse. Daja was helping her down, and was having to support her. Sandry nearly fainted into Daja's hold, but managed to regain her composure. Shaking her head, she blinked her eyes rapidly, and said, "I think I might take a quick nap." 

Quickly unmounting his annoying horse, Briar came to Sandry's horse's side and started taking out her sleeping packs and blankets. Tris was quick by his side and was starting to set up the small pile of blankets and pillows that Sandry was about to call a bed. 

Briar wanted to scream, "What the hell is going on here?! For Milla's sake, what is wrong with her?!" but he refrained. He was much too busy setting up the bed. 

They finished in a matter of minutes, and Dasnie had already set up a small fire, even though it wasn't quite needed. The farther north they went, the warmer the weather got. Right now, with a coat on, Briar was quite comfortable. 

But, then, Briar didn't have time to reflect on such things. Sandry had fallen asleep standing up and leaning against Daja. Seeing this, Briar almost chuckled, but kept himself from doing so, seeing that the situation was much to serious. Briar glanced at Daja, who's face was laced with perplexed concern. Their eyes locked for a brief second before Briar picked Sandry up from the legs and then wrapped his arms around her waist. 

He was suddenly aware of how tiny Sandry was. Her legs dropped like a rag-doll over his arms and her tiny feet dangled hopelessly limp. Sandry's fragile arms rested on her stomach and her head twisted and turned against his chest. 

Briar managed to get her situated into her bed, and Daja and Tris ran back to their horses to get other supplies and to tie Evvy and Pasco's horses up, for both of them were told to keep back and not get in the way. Briar could imagine Pasco's urgency to get to his teacher. He understood. Briar himself was frantic with worry. 

Pulling the blankets up to her chin, Briar looked down on Sandry's face. Finally, her face looked at ease, and all traces of concern or sadness were erased. This, however, didn't make Briar feel any better. 

He looked at the sleeping Sandry for a while, before he frowned. Biting a hesitant lip, Briar reached out and smoothed Sandry's hair away from her face, before bending over and whispering in her ear, "Sandry, what's going on? What is this all about?" Briar looked around before whispering, "I'm scared for you Sandry. Tell me what's going on. Please, please, please. . ." He mumbled this in her ear for a while before Sandry finally mummered. 

"Briar. . . ?" Her voice was slurred and sleep-spoken, but nevertheless, it gave Briar a start. Sandry then fell back into a sleep, unaware of her surroundings. 

Briar suddenly heard footsteps that came near him. He quickly arose and looked up. Daja was coming near him, a pile of firewood in her arms. When she saw him, she smiled in a melancholy sort of way. 

"She sleeping?" She asked, her voice quiet. 

Briar looked at Daja before cracking, "What do ya think?" 

Daja chuckled at him before nodding, "Yeah, you're right. She was out before we could get her off the horse." She exchanged a look with Briar, before licking her lips. 

They stood in awkward silence before Briar asked, "Where's Tris?" 

"Arguing with Pasco and Evvy." 

Rolling his eyes, Briar nodded his head, "Figures." Putting a hand in his pocket, he glanced down at the sleeping Sandry before looking at Daja, who was looking at Sandry also. 

"Daja," Briar started, "what's going on? What's wrong with Sandry?" 

Hearing his question, Daja looked quickly up at him in surprise. Nearly dropping the firewood in her arms, she raised a shocked eyebrow. "You. . . you mean you. . . you don't know?" 

"No, I don't know," Briar responded in a point-blank way, his voice on the verge of cracking from frustration. Hadn't Tris and Daja realized? Typical females. . . 

Daja stared at him, before biting her lip. She looked from Sandry to Briar, and then to Sandry again. Never taking her eyes off Sandry, she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper, "You might want to sit down for this Briar." 

Briar, indignant, responded, "I'll stand if I damn want to." Putting a hand on his hip, he glared at Daja, not really angry at her, but not happy with not knowing a secret that everyone else seemed to know. 

She wasn't surprised about Briar's outburst, but simply sighed before looking at Briar. Daja bit her lip before saying, "Do what you want Briar, but I'm not going to say this isn't going to shock you. . ." 

"Well, what is it already?!" Briar asked, his patience slowly decaying. 

Daja looked deep into Briar's eyes before finally saying, "Briar. . . Sandry's pregnant." 

_________________________________________ 

_MWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! Yes, I'm evil. But don't flame me for doing this. . . I just. . . I don't know. .. I thought it would be interesting. You'll see, it all turns out for the better. B/c I actually have an idea on how the plot going to turn out! Yeah, It all turns out happy. . . well maybe. It depends. I guess that leads me to my writer's question, in which, you, the reader, can have a signifigant impact._

_QUESTION:_   


_Do you want a dramatic, kinda melancholy ending that will end up in with a sequel? OR .. .._

_Do you want a happy, YEAH! ending that probably won't have a sequel?_

_Vote in the review pwease, or you can e-mail me if you really want to._

_Anyway, thanks to the many people who reviewed. Also, I'm sincerely sorry for getting Daja's apprentice thing wrong. . . I haven't read "Cold Fire" yet, and for some reason, I thought it was a boy. . . I'm just crazy I guess. Anywho, the website is still in construction and should be up soon. Hold on, and it will be up in a few weeks._   
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  



	4. More Than Wanted

_Disclaimer: Er, not Tamora Pierce. . . get the big fat picture? Hope so. . . don't sue me._   
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_Truly loving someone means letting go of all expectations. It means full acceptance, even celebration of another's personhood._   
_ ~Karen Casey_   
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**Chapter 4: More Than Wanted**

Briar stared blankly at Daja, his mind racing with thousands of different thoughts at the same time. Unfortunately, for both Briar and Daja, all that came out of his mouth was: "Wha. . . What did you say?" 

"Sandry's pregnant." Daja said it again, her voice sure and steady. 

This could not, and would not, stay concrete in Briar's mind. Daja could have said it millions of times in those next few minutes, but it would slide like water over wood in Briar's mind. All he could manage to do was stare at Daja as if Daja had just said that Sandry was a female cat and was going to do a lively jig once they reached Sarai Island. 

It wasn't that the thought that Sandry was pregnant wasn't clicking, it was the simple fact that she was going to have a child that seemed extremely strange. BEING pregnant, and the pregnancy actually leading to a baby being born were two entirely different things. At least to Briar it seemed that way. 

Tearing his shocked eyes from Daja, Briar glanced down at the sleeping Sandry, and examined her face. It was soft and peaceful, and her long hair had somehow ended in front of her closed eyes again. Her thin arm was draped over her blankets and her long fingers were bent in a clutch. She still looked like when she was fourteen, when she had fallen asleep on the top of Discipline's roof the night before he had to leave with Rosethorn away from Emelan. Briar remembered the night clearly. . . it was the night that Briar had realized how very pretty Sandry had grown. 

But it wasn't a thing that he liked to dwell on. . . it only confused him. And Briar didn't like being confused. 

Shaking his head, Briar turned to Daja and then stammered, "How. . . where. . .when? You've got to tell me everything." 

Daja looked down at the ground, her eyebrows knitted together in concentration. She put down her firewood before looking before she glanced back up at Briar, her eyes shining with concern. "You sure you want to know _everything_?" 

Briar looked from Sandry to Daja and then bit the inside of his cheek. He knew that some of the information might be painful to hear. Some of it might make him want to go and kill some people. The information might dampen Sandry and his friendship for forever. But then. . . 

"Yeah. . . I want to know everything," Briar stated with finality. 

Daja bit her bottom lip before shaking her head. "Okay, Briar. You're gonna want to sit down though; it's a long story." Grabbing a log from the firewood, Daja sat on it and folded her hands before she relapsed into silent concentration. 

Briar could feel his impatience start to slither down his spine and he wanted nothing more to scream at Daja to say something, but instead, Daja commenced with Sandry's story: 

"It was about two years ago, I suppose. Sandry had just started to get acquainted with teaching Pasco and getting use to her royal status, when there was a message from her cousin. . ." 

"Which one?" Briar interjected, as he took a seat on the chilly ground and then resting one elbow on a knee. 

Daja looked a Briar for a while, as if to prepare him for a shock. Then she went onward, "Her cousin Empress Berenene, Her Imperial Highness of the Namorn Empire." 

Blinking in astonishment, all Briar could manage was a weak, "Oh." 

"It was a bitter message. Empress Berenene had come down with a fatal disease and there was nothing that medicine could do for her," Daja paused before going on, "She was expected to die within a month. The message said that Sandry was to come immediately, it said that her cousin wished to see her before she passed on. Of coarse, Sandry came -- you know how Sandry is. It took her a week to get there, and during this time Empress Berenene's condition worsened considerably. By the time she got there, Empress Berenene was on her death bed and barely had enough strength to right her will and to speak to Sandry. I don't. . . I don't think that Empress meant to give Sandry anything, but when she had seen how much Sandry had grown, had pretty she had become, and how regal she had become, she immediately gave Sandry the Empire as a dying wish." Daja stopped her and looked up at Briar, who was staring at her in astonishment. 

He blinked again before shaking his head, "Next thing you're going to tell me is that Sandry spouted wings and flew away and found a fairy man and they're having a child together." 

Daja chuckled weakly before smiling at him, "No, not quite that strange. But, nevertheless, Sandry _did _take the throne, and that--" 

"-- is strange in itself." Briar added, and then bit his lip in contemplation. "So, what does this all have to do with her getting pregnant? And number two, why haven't I heard this from anybody? Given I was on the other side of the world, I still could have been notified." 

Shaking her head, Daja sighed. "It has a lot to do with her getting pregnant. You see, an Empress has to marry within a year of receiving the throne. Empress Berenene followed this royal rule, but she had someone kill her husband within a few months of the marriage. . . or at least that's what the rumor is. Anyway, Sandry -- being Sandry-- refused at first. But, somehow, some toadies convinced her that if she didn't want the throne going over to her corrupt other cousins, she must marry. So, with out wanting anybody to get hurt, she married." 

For some reason, when Daja said this, it didn't register in Briar's brain in the very least. Looking at Sandry, he couldn't imagine a ring on her slender finger and couldn't imagine anyone holding her in any other way that Briar himself had held her. The innocent look on her face didn't look like a typical face that Briar would register as being married. It looked much more like a face that had never seen it's first kiss or ever been loved. 

He glanced back up at Daja, swallowed thickly, before he asked, "Who was it that she married?" 

"His name was Count Davial en Tagorn, a very influential young man who was reputed for his integrity." Daja looked deeply into Briar's suspicious face, "Briar. . . don't look so worried. She married a good man. I'd go so far as to say that he loved her." 

They sat in silence for a few seconds, Briar licking his dry lips, feelings flooding into his heart and mind more than he had ever wished. Confusion sprung up everywhere and Briar started to feel an emotion extremely foreign to him. 

Jealousy? No, that's impossible. 

"So," Briar started, "Sandry's married. How. . . uncomfortable." 

"She's not married anymore." 

Looking up in surprise at Daja, Briar lifted an appraising eyebrow. "Come again," he said, confusion hinged on his voice. 

Daja shook her head and rubbed the back her neck in a tired sort of way. "I think her and Davial were married for about a year or so. They were traveling to Ragal Island, where some of Davial's relatives are. And, of coarse, Sandry insisted that they go without body guards. It was while they were taking a ferry from Anderran that they realized that some assassins were on board the ferry also. They made an assassin attempt on Sandry, but when they let the arrows fly, it was Davial that took the blow instead of Sandry. . ." 

When Daja stopped, Briar shook his head and said quietly, "He died." 

Daja swallowed audibly, "Yes, he did. . . it wasn't until a week later that Sandry realized that she had been pregnant. I don't know if you know, but it's considered extremely bad luck to have a child of a dead husband. So, in order to keep Sandry from disgrace, they've kept her heir to the throne a secret, and the fact that she's pregnant an even bigger secret." They sat in awkward silence for a few seconds before Daja asked, "Briar, are you okay?" 

Yeah, everything was just peachy. . . not. 

Briar snapped his head up and glared at Daja, "No, I'm not okay." He stood up sharply and bit his lip in frustration. "I've just learned that my best friend in Empress of the Namorn Empire and she got married to some stiff rich snob, who she was probably never happy with. And. . . and now she's pregnant." He was pacing now, like a dog who wanted nothing more to jump on some kind of prey. Running a hand through his hair, Briar looked up at Daja again, "And one more thing; why didn't I know anything about this?" 

Sighing, Daja shrugged her shoulder, "I don't know Briar. I just. don't. know." She stood up off her log and then threw it into the every growing fire. Rubbing her hands together for warmth, she bit her lip. "Maybe, just maybe, there's something she needs to tell you. . . in private." Daja glanced up at Briar, who was looking at her with a bit of resentment. Furrowing her eyebrows, Daja inched slowly towards Briar, "Are you _sure_ you're okay? You never act this. . . angry." 

Clenching his fists together, Briar shook his head passionately. Not answering Daja, he stalked past her, brushing a shoulder against her own. "I'm going to help unload," he uttered through his teeth. 

Daja simply looked after him, glanced down at the sleeping Sandry and then sighed.   
------------------------------------------------ 

Briar wasn't quite sure if he should be angry, upset, confused, or a mix of everything. He knew that these emotions weren't directed towards anyone, and he sincerely hope that Daja didn't think he was angry with her. And another thing that plagued his mind. . . why should be feel any of these things at all? 

So, Sandry got married. Did he think that she never would? No, somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Sandry would eventually get married. It was simply that it wasn't supposed to happen so soon. And he was supposed to know about too. 

By the time Briar reached Dasnie, who was unloading everything from their horses, so many questions were running through his mind that he didn't even realize that he had knocked into someone. 

Looking down at the person who had nearly mauled, he raised an appraising eyebrow. Evvy was below him, looking at him accusingly. Briar pursed his lips, not ready for a daily battle with his student, and stated coldly, "Excuse me." 

Evvy, oblivious to Briar's foul mood, rolled her eyes before saying, "Yeah, you're excused," Briar was about to make a retort, but Evvy interjected, "Anyways, I was wondering. . . can me and Pasco camp out separate from you guys tonight?" Pasco suddenly popped into Briar's vision, looking sheepish. 

Glaring down at the young boy, Briar became instantaneously suspicious. Squinting his eyes, he glanced at Evvy, "Why do you just have to camp out with him tonight?" He glared at Pasco again. 

Rolling her eyes, Evvy shrugged her blankets and pillows up farther in her arms before she said, "Thanks, Pahan Briar." With that she too off to make her camp with Pasco. She called over her shoulder, in madabian, _ "Qua tea huateu vaq." _It meant that Pahan Briar is the best mage in the world. She smiled sweetly at him. 

It was Briar's turn to roll his eyes. Throwing his hands into the air, he huffed, "Fine, what the hell. . . you're not going to listen to me anyways." He heard Evvy giggle, and start to put her bags down on the ground. He glanced down at Pasco, giving him a "if-you-think-about-even-looking-at-her-you're-dead" glare. Pasco cringed under Briar's sneer before he scuffled nervously away. 

Shaking his head, Briar licked his dry lips. The atmosphere was drastically starting to get warmer the father north they went. The grass around him was a light shade of green and there were tiny evergreen trees dotting the landscape. Rubbing the back of his neck, Briar yawned. His magic still felt drained, like it was constantly in use. But, that didn't make any sense. Shrugging, Briar looked up towards the caravan of bags and horses. There, looking at him blankly, expect for a raised eyebrow, was the mysterious Dasnie. 

Almost spooked by her sudden appearance, Briar gave her a double take. She had taken off her long, winter coat and was wearing a long blue dress that seemed to cover a shorter purple dress underneath. Her long white hair fell to her waist, and move ever so slightly in the breeze. She was strange. . . even a little creepy, Briar decided. But, despite these things, Briar wasn't afraid of her. He trusted her. And that was strange for him. 

He stood in awkward silence with her for a few seconds before nodding were Evvy and Pasco were setting up their private camp. Smiling crookedly, he remarked in her direction, "Kids. . ." 

Raising her eyebrow further up her forehead, Dasnie looked strangely at Briar, "Yes. . . what about them?" Her voice was emotionless, and her face would have been other than for the fact that he eyebrow was nearly at her hairline. She was neither condescending nor interested. 

Feeling awkward, Briar replied, "Er, they're a lot of work, aren't they?" 

"I would not know. . . I've never owned a goat before," Dasnie answered, serious and stiff. With that, she started to take to take some of the luggage off Sandry's horse. 

Briar stared at her for a few blank seconds before chuckling despite himself. "No, no," he said, making Dasnie stop what she was doing and look up at him, "when I say 'kid' I don't mean like a goat kind. . ." He looked up at her, hoping that some recognition of what he was talking about would show on her face. There was absolutely nothing. "Well then, never mind. Do you need help unloading that stuff for Sandry?" 

Blinking at Briar, she nodded her head, "Yes, Briar Moss, that would be most helpful." 

Smiling crookedly at her before saying, "You can just call me Briar if you want." Shoving his sleeves up to elbows he grabbed a large piece of luggage and dropped it to the ground. 

What exactly did Sandry pack? The Namornian empire and all? 

After a few seconds, Dasnie shook her head before commenting, "You address each other with such informality. Even Empress Sandrilene wishes to be called. . . Sandry." 

Stiffening his lip, Briar nodded his head sarcastically, "Even the guide knew about it. Well, just perfect, just perfect." Shaking his head, he ran an irritated tongue across his teeth and kept shaking his head. 

Meanwhile, Dasnie watched him with renewed interest. Eyebrows raised, she set down the last piece of luggage. She never turned to Briar, but stated, "You care for this girl. . . Sandry. You are upset for her, yes?" 

Briar looked up at the mysterious woman curiously. Rubbing his sore hands on his pant leg, he nodded his head slowly, "I guess you could say that. The question here is, do I care enough about her not to kill her?" 

Dasnie turned to him, gave him a look of contemplation before shrugging her shoulders, "I don't believe you could kill Empress Sandrilene without her killing you first. You might be headstrong, but I suppose she is much worse." She said this with no sarcasm and her face was completely straight. Briar only stared at her. Setting down another piece of luggage, she whipped her hair around her shoulders before stating, "If you will excuse me, I have to cook tonight's dinner if we are to stay here overnight." 

Staring ahead, Briar shook his head before chuckling. It was going to be a most interesting journey. 

He bent down to sort through the luggage, but instead he was interrupted mid-action by a weak, diminutive voice. 

"Briar?" 

It was Sandry. 

A thousand different emotions raced through his brain at the same time. Gritting his teeth, Briar prepared himself for a grueling session of words that would be exchanged. He clenched his hands and slowly made his way up to full stance. Lips pursed, he glared up at Sandry. 

And then all the thoughts that ran through his mind a few seconds evaporated into the chilly, Madabian air. Staring at Sandry, Briar swallowed thick in his throat before glancing over the fragile, pale figure of Sandry's. She clutched a blanket around her small, tiny figure and now all her thick hair was down, and it blew roughly in the breeze. Her eyes were glazed over with fatigue and her eyebrows were furrowed in anxiousness. Despite all this, she had a sweet, delicate feature to her, and Briar was struck with an silent awe. 

Blinking liquidly at him, she shivered. Biting her lip, she looked to the ground and then to Briar again. "Briar. . .?" She asked again, her voice trembling. Tears formed rapidly in her eyes. "Briar, don't be upset with me. I. . . I don't think I could bear it." Her voice became more and more liquid and her body shivered raggedly. 

Briar found his mouth slightly open, but his fists still clenched. Looking at Sandry, he shook his head. "I'm not upset Sandry, I just. . . I just." He stopped abruptly in mid-sentence, before he walked up to her and, hesitantly, wrapped his arms around her. 

That was when Sandry broke down. As she sobbed silently, Briar stroked her hair and saying gently, "Sandry, why? Why didn't you tell me? Why?" 

They stood there for quite a few minutes, Sandry crying, and Briar wondering two things: Why didn't Sandry tell him, and What in the world was he was exactly doing. 

Usually, Briar was used to pinching Sandry's nose instead of comforting her under a Madabian night. Sighing, he stroked her long hair. This wasn't something he was accustomed to doing. And, quite frankly, it was awkward. 

Sniffling, Sandry shook her head in Briar's embrace. "I'm sorry, Briar. Oh, gods, I'm sorry." She shut her eyes and a lone tear cascaded down her face. Suddenly, she hiccuped. Briar and Sandry stood silent for second, before each chuckled. 

Pulling herself out of Briar's embrace, Sandry rubbed an arm over her eyes and giggled. "I can't seem to make anything serious, huh?" 

Smiling slightly, Briar chuckled, "Not unless your with Dasnie." Sandry glanced up at him and rolled her eyes to his joking manner. Briar chuckled. 

Hiccuping again, Sandry sniffled and wiped her eyes before saying, "Briar, there's something you need to know," she glanced up at Briar with her usual sad eyes before commencing onward, "I _was _going to tell you, but it looks that Daja has already told you." She bit her lips in contemplation and looked around the area. Sighing, she shook her head, "Maybe we should talk about this later, when we're under much more, er, private situations." 

Raising an eyebrow, Briar smirked evilly, "Gotta have me to yourself, eh, your highness?" 

Sandry turned her head at Briar, her face painted in disbelief. Pursing her lips together, she punched in playfully in the chest. "See why I didn't tell you anything?" They both laughed at each other, before their laughter subsided into light chuckles and then silence. 

It wasn't the bad kind of silence. It was the contemplating kind, where both parties were thinking something of their own. Briar glanced down at Sandry before asking quietly, "Did you love him-- your husband?" 

Sandry turned her head slowly towards Briar, her eyes sad again. She swallowed before asking her own question, "What do you mean? Was I in love or did I love him. . .?" 

Biting his lip, Briar looked down at her, glancing into her sad blue eyes, "I don't know; which one was it?" 

She sighed, her voice trembling. She hiccuped again, giggled at it, and then resumed into her seriousness. Shaking her head, Sandry glanced at the night sky and not at Briar while she spoke: "He was a good man and good friend. I loved him. . . as a friend." Frowning, she slowly turned towards Briar, "But I was never in love with him." 

There sudden an awkward aura around, but neither of them tore their glances away from them. Strange feelings churned mercilessly in the pit of Briar's stomach, but he could do nothing to stop looking at her. Gritting his teeth, Briar pondered himself. 

What was happening to him? When he ever acted like this? Er, never. . . 

Tearing his eyes away from Sandry, he spoke to the Madabian stars, "You'd better get to bed, yur highness. Remember, Dasnie isn't a light trecker. You're gonna have to toughen up." 

Sandry giggled before shaking her head, "I think I'm okay. . . it's you I'm worried about. I don't think Dasnie takes any back-talk. . . you might be dead by the end of this journey yet." 

Raising an eyebrow, Briar rolled his eyes. Sandry giggled at him, but her eyes remained sad. "Go to bed, you're having delusions," Briar retorted, his eyes glittering in a teasing mood. 

Still giggling, Sandry started to make her way back to the campsite before she caught site of the other smaller campsite. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she turned to Briar, "Did I miss something? Why are Pasco and Evvy camping separate from us?" 

Rolling his eyes, Briar sighed in mock frustration. "I don't know-- but one thing's for sure," he stared accusingly at Sandry, "you're little apprentice better keep his hands off my student." 

At this, Sandry outright laughed. "Oh give me a break!" She exclaimed before adding, "Knowing you, you've probably brought up Evvy to make the first move." 

Briar mock-glared at her before threatening, "You'd better take off in a run if you don't want to suffer a terrible death." 

"I'd like to see you _try _to kill me!" 

With that, Briar ran towards Sandry. Giving a loud yelp, she took off in a run, her blanket still wrapped around her body. They both were soon engaged in a frantic game of tag to the campsite were Daja, Tris, and Dasnie were waiting. 

Pasco and Evvy stared at their two teachers, their eyebrows raised. 

Turning to Pasco, Evvy shook her head. "My Pahan is so weird," she commented before extinguishing the fire and cuddling into her blankets for the night. 

* * *

  
_Hey people! Thanks a billion for the reviews. I think now that I'm know how I'm going to end this. (Which is a very good thing.) Well, I don't know how long these updates are going to be from now on, but I'm hoping to make them at least 4 pages each. Anyway, the website is not ANYWHERE near finished. The we page design I was using makes my computer crash now, so that's just not going to work. Never fear though. I've got a new web page design so it should be up soon. Until then, I am asking you readers a dear request:_

_WOULD YOU PLEASE, PWEETY PLEASE SEND ME YOUR CIRCLE OF MAGTC FANFICTION FOR THE WEBSITE??_

_It would be most appreciated. You can just e-mail me from the e-mail on my profile, and you'll receive full utter credit for your work. I'll even put your e-mail address there if you like and create a "book cover" for your fanfiction. Thanks a billion guys. . . you're the best. Really and Truly._   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


  


  
  
  



	5. Not Defenseless

_Disclaimer: You know, what the hell. I'm Tamora Pierce. . . that's right the genuine flesh and blood. If you don't believe me, well then sue me. That is. . . if you can CATCH me! MWHAHAHA! (er, j/k. Please don't sue me. . . you'll get didli-squat anywho. . . except maybe my pair of pineapple socks.) No money, etc. being made._   
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And on her lover's arm she leant,   
And round her waist she felt it fold,   
And far across the hills they went   
In that new world which is the old.   
~Alfred Tennyson   
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**Chapter 5: Not Defenseless**   


The next morning arrived after a terrible, awful dinner of chewy jerky and hard biscuits, a restless night's sleep, and an interrogation of Evvy and Pasco about what they did the night before. 

Evvy and Pasco didn't find it amusing. 

Nevertheless, the group found themselves, a few hours later, riding tiredly in a evergreen forest miles away from their camp out site. Briar's horse fiddled restlessly, and Briar wanted nothing more than to curse at the stupid thing. He refrained however, mostly because Evvy was already peeved at him. 

Dasnie led the group, her long white hair blowing in the breeze that blew throughout the forest. She remained silent, her face emotionless and steady. On top her her horse, she looked like a rock statue that never moved and never switched positions. Once, she cleared her throat. It scared Briar and Daja so much that they jumped in their horses. Seeing their over-reaction, both of them exchanged nervous smiles. 

They rode a while before Tris twisted her neck, making it pop in some places before sighing. Taking off her glasses and then rubbing her eyes, she remarked, "I've had the worst headache ever since I crossed the Syth into Madab. Must be my stupid allergies." 

Briar glanced at her in surprise. She didn't glance back. Something churned oddly in Briar's stomach. Madab was starting to get creepier and creepier to him. First, Balaj and this odd draining sensation. Now, Tris' headache. Not to mention Dasnie's idiosyncrasies. 

However, Sandry was much more perky that day, even if the sadness never really left her eyes, and she even humored Pasco by laughing at a few of his jokes. Briar thought that the jokes were meant for both Sandry and his young student. Raising a almost-paternal eyebrow, Briar glared back at the young Pasco. He then glanced at Evvy, who was still laughing at one of Pasco's jokes. Slowing his horse, he was about to give Sandry's young mage a warning about keeping his hormonal hands off his student, but instead he was interrupted. 

"Stop," Dasnie suddenly said, her voice steady and clear. Her horse stopped, and her eyes glanced around their surroundings dartingly. Her hand was rested on the hilt of her sword that was strapped to the belt encircling her waist. 

Everyone stopped dead in their tracks, and a wave of anxiousness ran through them all. A twig snapped in the forest. 

"What was that?" Sandry whispered, her voice hinged with apprehension. Dasnie instantly silenced her with a wave of her hand. 

And then a piercing scream echoed through the forest. Breaking through a large brush of small evergreen trees, a hoard of men started to run towards them, their voices roaring throughout the forest. Instantly, Briar remembered the knives that he kept at his wrists, and immediately told the plants the kept them tied to his wrists to come undone. Grasping his knives, Briar faced the intruders, his eyes dilated with adrenaline. 

Dasnie had drawn her sword also, her shoulders square and her mouth drawn in a tight line. She sat on her horse silently, but her eyes never were drawn from the fast approaching men. 

Daja had her staff out instantaneously, ready for anything. 

Tris had murder lit in her eyes. A storm was already brewing above their heads. 

When Briar glanced at Sandry, it looked like she had nothing the defend herself. However, as she eyed the intruders, she quietly reached inside her bag and grabbed something like a large metal ball. Eyeing it quickly, Briar suddenly smiled slyly. It was metal casket that, upon impact, set a paralyzing spell over anyone who was within six or seven feet of it. Taking his eyes off Sandry, he looked back at Pasco and Evvy. Both of their eyes were wide and their lips were drawn tightly together in fear. Motioning them back with his head, Briar was content when they backed away a good hundred feet. 

All them looked at the fastly approaching men, they all mind-spoke for the first time in the trip. They all said: _I'm ready_

As they came closer, it was easier to see the group of vagabonds. The men looked ragged, and most didn't have a sword, but instead possessed small daggers like Briar. Their faces were scrunched together and scarred. They could have been a pack of robbers, but most robbers didn't have a battle cry. Most robbers would stay silent, before silently attacking. 

As strange as the men were, Briar couldn't care if they dancing elves. The men were attacking him, and Briar was experienced at attacking back. Biting his lip, he counted with his head the seconds before the men reached them. Five. . . four. . . three. . . two. . . 

The first man that attempted to attack Briar was a younger man, about in his early thirties. A large scar protruded from his face and it ran from the top of his forehead to the bottom of his eyelid. He had a small dagger in his hand, but it was rusty and looked extremely old. Briar, quickly taking observation of this weakness, rode his horse up to the man before both of their daggers connected. Like he had hoped, the man's rusty sword broke in two. He glanced at his broken dagger in surprise, before glancing up at Briar in fear. Briar smiled evilly at him before he landed a hard kick in the man's stomach, sending the man back and making hard contact with an evergreen tree. Calling the branches down, Briar told the tree to wrap its branches tightly around the man's wrists. The man lay in an unconscious, tied-up pile. 

Everyone was having their own battles with separate men. Dasnie had, for some strange reason, put her sword back, and instead, was using a long, broken tree limb to fend off intruders. Briar caught quick sight of her as she blocked a blow from a large, heavy-set man, before knocking him hard in the stomach. The man doubled over, before receiving another blow to the head. He fell to the ground, maybe unconscious or maybe dead. Daja was doing somewhat of the same thing, except she was enjoying herself immensely by melting the metal off the any man's sword before knocking them unconscious. 

Briar blocked another man, before hitting his square in the nose. The man melted to the ground, his nose bloody. 

It was then that he caught sight of Tris, who was being attacked by a fast-approaching man. She glared at him coldly, and the man ran towards her, screaming like a madman. When he was about five feet away from her horse, a stream of lightening glided down from the sky and struck him. The man stood shocked for a few seconds, before crumpling in a seared heap. Briar saw Tris grin, before she faced another man. 

Hearing another man running towards him, Briar turned around. However, as he faced the man, a sudden flash of light streamed across his vision. A sudden yelping of men occured, and Briar's horse threw a panic. Rearing back, the horse sent Briar falling quickly off the saddle and unto the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs. 

Stunned, Briar lay on the ground for a few, brief seconds before looking up. Ahead of him, there was a crowd of four men that stood paralyzed in their tracks. Sandry had most likely used her spelled ball to freeze them, and it must have made a large flash before it paralyzed it's victims. Immediately after the flash, Dasnie and Daja set to work, knocking the men every which way with their staffs. The man that was about to attack Briar looked around his settings in shock before glaring back at Briar. Screaming, he made a beeline towards him. 

Suddenly aware of his situation, Briar looked for his wrist knives. They were nowhere to be seen. Most likely, they had been thrown far when he fell off his horse. 

Gods, he hated that dumb horse. 

Frantic, Briar tried to stumble to his feet, but knew it was be little use. The man was much too close and coming much to fast. And then, when Briar had braced himself for pain, the man's trousers suddenly fell off his waist and hit his ankles. Surprised, the man still ran and started to trip over his undone pants. Briar looked at the man in the same surprise that the man himself had on his face. Then, with lighting speed, a fist made hard contact with the man's face. Spinning uncontrollably, the man tripped over a tree root, hit his head on a rock and then was still. 

Gaping, Briar glanced up at the person who had just saved his neck. And to his utmost surprise, it was Sandry who was smiling back at him. Smugly. 

Smiling slightly in shock, Briar shook his head. "You've just got the most uncanny timing," He remarked, before dusting his hands off. 

Sandry rolled her eyes before saying, "And you've got the most remarkable luck." 

"I think my horse begs to differ," Briar clipped, before glaring at his horse, who's eyes were dilated in complete fear. Frowning at it, he grabbed the reigns, and then looking over his shoulder at Sandry. "Have I ever mentioned that I. . ." 

"Hate horses?" Sandry finished his sentence, smiling. Shaking her head, she chuckled. "No, you've never mentioned it before." 

Briar squinted his eyes at her. 

Evvy, on the other side of the forest, wasn't having quite as much luck. Two men had approached her and Pasco earlier on, and were now trying to take them off their saddles. Pasco was tying in vain to kick the man, but to little avail. 

Tugging back her arm, Evvy tried to escape the man's grasp. Scrunching her lips together, she muttered through clenched teeth, "Let. Me. Go!" 

The man only growled at her. 

Suddenly a large rock laying underneath a large tree caught her attention. Still trying to pull away, Evvy concentrated on it. Although it was cracked and not of very good quality, Evvy decided that it would have to do for now. Calling it into the air, the rock hung in the air before gliding near her. Evvy bit her lip before telling the rock to come to her free, out-stretched hand as fast it could go. 

And it came. . . but not before knocking her capturor in the back of the head. The man opened his eyes wide before he toppled down. Smiling, Evvy caught the rock in her hand with ease before turning around and throwing her rock at Pasco's attacker. The man also fell down to the ground. 

Pasco looked up at her with shock, and she smiled imperiously at him. Running a hand through her long, dark hair, she murmured, "I love me." 

Dasnie and Daja had managed to corner the last two conscious or alive men against a grove of evergreen trees. The men stared at the two woman in fear before kneeling on the ground and begging. "Don't kill us!" They cried, their voices trembling, "Don't kill us! We were sent to do this. . . please, oh please!" 

Daja glared at them. "Who sent you here?" 

A chuckled suddenly permeated throughout the forest, echoing off the large trees. Everyone glanced up to look around them, scanning the forest suspiciously. The chuckle continued before it started to come closer. 

Briar had managed to grab his wrist knives in the mean time, and he grasped them so tight that his knuckles were turning white. Squinting into the forest, he saw three figures riding on horses coming closer to them. The one in the center of the group, although barely visible, looked taller than the other two. And he was the one who was chuckling. Suspicious, Briar inched closer to Sandry, who was shifting uneasily from one foot to another. 

When the trio finally came into view, Briar saw Dasnie put down her large tree limb. Coming forward, she nodded slightly at the man. 

The tall man, who was still chuckling deep in his throat, glanced down at Dasnie. His smile instantly increased. "Well, well, well," his voice flowed pleasantly, but hinged with a Madabian accent, "it looks like you have not lost your edge, Princess Dasniel." 

Briar looked up in shock at Dasnie, who was eyeing the tall man stoically. Blinking at him, she answered the man. "I would suppose that this is of your work, Duke Eraged?" She then waved a hand over the landscape of unconscious men. 

Confused beyond reason, Briar glanced from Dasnie to the tall man. _Princess_ Dasniel? Duke Eraged? The man they were supposed to meet? Sucking in some air, he voiced his confusion, "What the hell is going on here?" 

The tall man glanced at him. Although he was no doubtedly a Madabian, his hair was very similar to Dasnie, except his had a small hint of blonde. His eyes were a piercing brown, but were somewhat covered by his long, light-blondish bangs. The man riding next to him looked very similar, except for the fact that he was much younger, had wavier hair, and his eyes weren't piercing. Instead, they peered down at Briar with a soft curiosity. 

The tall man shifted his his saddle before speaking to Briar, "And you must be the young Plant Mage that I hear so much about: Briar Moss." The man chuckled, "you certainly do live up to your reputation, I might say." 

Briar was about to ask what the man meant, but the man spoke first, "And here is Daja Kisubo and Trisana Chandler. What a pleasant surprise!" 

"The pleasure is all mine," Tris bit in tartly, her eyes cold. The man ignored her before turning to Sandry. 

Smiling broadly, the man rode up to Sandry, who was eyeing his suspiciously, "And Empress Sandrilene. . . how wonderful to finally meet you." He took her hand then and kissed it, but only with Sandry's reluctance. Shaking his head, he suddenly frowned. "I'm so sorry to here about the tragic end your husband came to. Most terrible, I must say." 

Sandry blinked at him, before stammering, "How. . . how do you know . . .?" 

"All in good time my dear. All in good time." The man interrupted her before riding over to the younger man, and another person, who look like a female. "For now, we must leave this place. Follow me now. We should get to _Quetat Veyla _very soon if we hurry." He then turned to the female before commanding, "Vangea, please find somewhere to dispose of these men. I have no need for them now." He waved an authoritative hand and the woman complied, beginning with the two remaining men who were shaking in fear. With that, the man turned into the forest and started to ride, but the younger man staying behind. 

Everyone remained quiet for few seconds, before Dasnie cleared her throat in hesitation. The young man suddenly looked down at her, before smiling at her pleasantly. "Nice work that you did to those men, Dasniel," He teased slightly, his smile crooked. His horse shifted before it faced Dasnie. 

She glanced up at the young man, before she spoke. "I was expecting it. . . . it _is_ like Duke Eragad." Her voice hinted at some kind of recognition of the young man, and it finally sounded somewhat informal. Even if it was slightly emotionless. 

The young man shook his head before stating, "Yes, I suppose so." He then turned to the confused group of Daja, Tris, Briar, Sandry, Pasco, and Evvy. "I'd like to say I'm not related, but, unfortunately, he's my Father," he nodded his head towards the forest, where the tall man was riding. Shaking his head in silent displeasure. Biting his lip, he looked back up at them and introduced, " By the way, my name's Jadof ta Untea, and it looks like your the group we had expected yesterday." 

Shaking her head, Dasnie slowly made her way to her horse. "Yes, I'm afraid we are. We had. . . some slight delays." She never glanced at Sandry, but instead mounted her horse. 

"Slightly making you late?" 

Dasnie glanced up at Jadof and nodded her head. "I suppose so, Jadof." 

Briar, who was watching this exchange in confusion, blinked. Dasnie never used name's so informally unless told too. Suddenly feeling at ease with the younger man, Briar knew one thing. . . if Dasnie trusted him, he did too. 

Riding her horse next to Jadof's, she waved at her companions. "You realize that we had little choice. We must go." 

Everyone stared at her for a few seconds before they slowly made their way to their horses. 

Briar's horse danced as soon as he got on, but he ignored it. No need in killing the horse, even though he wanted to. Very badly. 

Jadof and Dasnie started to follow the tall man into the forest, and everyone followed them hesitantly. 

The last words that were mentioned in the trip was Jadof saying, "I've got some jokes I think you'll need to hear when we get to _Quetat Veyla, _Dasniel." 

Dansie simply stared blankly at him before she made a noise that sounded like a sigh. 

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_Lalalala. . .its a short chapter, I know. The next chapter will be longer, much longer. Anywho, thanks for the reviews people! BTW, I still need fanfiction for the website. Right now it located at _ www.geocities.com/emelan6/discipline.html , _but it needs more content. Pwease people, send me anything that has to do with Circle of Magic. . . I'm begging ya. (I'll personally ask some people. . . Blue Wynd Faerie, Swim Freak, can I use yours?)_

_One more thing. . . Dasnie and Jadof are based on two characters from another book series. They are bit different, but er, pretty much the same. I didn't realize I was incorporating them into this story until I reread it. So, if they sound familiar, that's the reason. Well, see ya around next chapter people!_   



	6. Secrets Revealed

_Disclaimer: Ya know what? There should be a national muffin appreciation day. I just made some damn good muffins and. . . oh, you're actually reading this? Well, then, I don't anything in this durn story, except for the characters not mentioned by Tammy. (But I do own my lovely muffins!) Don't sue me please. .. I'm rather enjoying myself with these muffins. Not making money, etc._   
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Sweet are the thoughts that savor of content,   
The quiet mind is richer than a crown.   
A mind content both crown and kingdom is.   
--Robert Green   
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**Chapter 6: Secrets Revealed**   


Briar had never, in his entire life, seen anything quite as huge as the _Quetat Veyla_. The huge -- whatever it was, a castle of some sort-- had large stones that encircled it. It was on top of a large mountain top, teetering on a rocky cliff. There was a large wooden door that led to the entrance of the huge structure. Large turrets crowned the highest point, and at the very top, Briar could manage to make out some highly valuable jewels. 

Evvy was already drooling at the stone structure. 

Managing to stare at it for ten minutes in complete awe, Jadof managed to finally herd everyone inside the _Quetat Veyla._

Before this however, Sandry leaned over and whispered into Briar's ear, "This looks a lot bigger than the _Meux de Namorn_." Opening his eyes wide, Briar looked over at Sandry. Her eyes were wide like his and her eyes didn't possess the sadness that usually they did. Shock hung in them now. For both of them knew that the _Meux de Namorn _was the place where the Namornian Empress lived. And that was a big place, to say the least. 

They rode up the large pathway that lead to the _Quetat Veyla_ for what seemed like forever before finally reaching the front door, which was about as grand as the rest of the huge palace. 

A skittish woman was on guard in front of the palace, and when she saw Jadof and Dasnie riding up to the palace gate, she stammered to someone up above her, "Open the gates: The Lord's son and her Highness Dansiel have arrived!" The gates opened immediately, people shouting like wild. Most of them sounded like females. 

Glancing around him, Briar noticed the camouflaged woman who ran through the forests, trying not to be noticed, but they constantly stepped on small leaves and twigs which crackled and snapped underneath their feet. A woman quickly ran in front of their horses before disappearing into the evergreen forest to the both sides of the pathway. 

Evvy watched this all going around her with confusion. All the of the woman looked like the Madabian people that she had seen at Tavern Hill-- pale skin, black hair and light blue or green eyes. A woman nudged against her horse before disappearing into the forest once again. Scrunching her eyebrows together, Evvy voiced her confusion, "Who _are_ all these people?" 

Jadof looked back at her, before smiling softly, "They're my father's royal consorts. . ." 

"Consorts?" Evvy asked loudly, oblivious to the meaning of the word, before looking around to a woman. She stopped in her path for a meager second, looked at Evvy, before turning away, "What's a consort?" 

Briar, his cheeks somewhat flushed, tugged on Evvy's ear and whispered, "How about not asking so many questions. . . " 

Obviously everyone heard him, for Tris burst out laughing along with Daja. Sandry tried to keep her laughter surpressed, but it all came out in a wild outburst, and her laughs rocked her body. Jadof and Dasnie, not seeing humor in the situation, looked at everyone with an air of puzzlement. 

Evvy, not understanding, looked at everyone funny before turning to Briar, "What's wrong with them? And what's a consort?" 

More laughter. 

Blushing vivaciously, Briar shook his head. He bit his lip before saying, "A consort is like, uh, it's like a. . ." 

"Confident, body-guard," Jadof interjected, and Briar glanced up at him in surprise. Looking around at the still laughing people, he blinked before commenting, "I don't know what consort means where you come from, but here, it means a close, trusted friend. Woman are usually the best at the job." 

Tris and Daja laughed hysterically at his last comment, and Briar shot them a I-can't-believe-you-thought-that look. They looked back at him, their eyes mischievous. Sandry was still giggling. 

Evvy still looked at them in stupefaction. 

Dasnie looked at them blankly before turning to Jadof and saying, low enough that Briar could barely make out, "They are strange people, these mages from the South." Jadof simply smiled softly at her, not completely in agreement and not completely in disagreement. 

Briar rolled his eyes. _They_ were strange? Right. . . and the Duke was just an average joe. 

Tris and Daja were still laughing. 

Shaking his head, Briar glared at them. 

Evvy looked at everyone with bewildered eyes before asking, "I still don't get it. . . what's so funny?" 

Briar just sighed. 

------------------------------------------- 

Once everyone was settled down, and Evvy had spent a considerable time gawking at the stone work on the _Quetat Veyla, _they finally managed to get inside the huge castle. 

When they walked inside, Briar immediately had to adjust his eyes to the brightness, or rather, lack of brightness. The main entrance was a giant circular room, with large hardwood floors that glistened in the faint candlelight that surrounded the room. Above them, there was a giant chandelier, every candle on it lighted. The only other light in the room was a fireplace that glowed dimly on the opposite side of the room. A large, high-back chair was in front of it, the back facing them. Someone's elbows sat comfortably on the arm rest, and the sound of someone breathing echoed throughout the large, circular room. 

Jadof seemed to ignore this and took off his large green cloak that draped around his shoulders. He hung it up on a coat rack that was made of twisted tree bark before turning to his company. "This is the _Quetat Veyla._" He waved a hand around the room before continuing, "Your rooms are upstairs, and there is a consort upstairs to take care of your luggage." Tris, Daja, and Sandry giggled like silly girls at the mention of the word consort. Briar rolled his eyes. Jadof just raised an eyebrow before walking towards the fireplace. Everyone followed him, glancing around the large room gingerly. "There are the bathing facilities at the back of the _Quetat Veyla_ if you wished to bath tonight." Suddenly stopping at the tall-backed chair, he announced, "Father, they're here." 

A voice echoed throughout the room, "Yes, yes, I observed this. I'm not deaf, you do realize." It was the Duke. 

He stood up, his large shoulders broad and authoritative. He glanced into the fire for a second before turning to them and looking down at them. And, on his shoulder, was the most hideous creature Briar had ever seen. 

It was a large, black bird that glared down at them in the same fashion as the Duke. Eyes glittering in the fireplace, the bird stared at Briar before cawing loudly. It bent its head back all the way, glancing at the fireplace behind it. Briar wanted to do nothing more than to twist the thing's neck into positions he knew the bird couldn't live with. 

Duke Eraged looked at them for a few seconds, and everyone was silent, shifting uncomfortably. Evvy clicked the top of her mouth with her tongue, watching the Duke glare at her with his piercing eyes. Looking around the group, she realized that the only one who didn't wince at the Duke's glare was Dasnie, who simply just blinked at him unemotionally, before glancing over at Jadof. He simply smiled gently at her before winking. Evvy watched a ever-small smile creep on Dasnie's face. Blinking in surprise, Evvy looked from Dasnie to Jadof to Dasnie again. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the Duke. 

"You're a bit late," He said slowly, his voice heavy with a Madabian accent. He walked over to them and shook his head, "But that's quite all right. However, your supper will be slightly cold." Stopping, he thought over his sentence, and laughed. "Well, why not? Everything else in Madab is a damn icicle. Indeed, why not?" Still laughing, he walked to the side of the room, where a large bookcase was standing. Taking a large velvet cord, Duke Eraged pulled on it. The bookcase moved aside and led into a narrow room on the other side. A large, rectangular table stood in the middle of it and a dinner was set and ready on it. Not even looking over his shoulder, Duke Eraged ordered, "Come now. The cook has prepared a fine dinner for us all." 

Everyone exchanged anxious glances, suspicion shining in their eyes. Briar glanced over his shoulder at Sandry. She had a protective hand on Pasco's shoulder, and looked apprehensively at the door. Catching Briar's eyes, she shook her head slightly. 

But before anyone could object, Jadof and Dasnie had someone herded everyone towards the room, and as Briar, Evvy and Pasco behind him, walked into the room, the large bookcase shut behind, locking Evvy and Pasco on the outside. 

Sandry gave off a quick gasp. Daja opened her eyes wider and Tris jumped. Briar spun around and glanced at the closed door before turning and glaring at the Duke. 

"What is this about?" He muttered angrily at Duke Eraged, his teeth clenched. "Why can't Evvy come in?" 

"And Pasco?" Sandry quickly added, her voice on the verge of a panic. 

Even Jadof interjected, "Father, that really isn't necessary. . ." 

"They pose no threat," Dasnie added, quick to defend Jadof. She inched slightly towards him. 

Chuckling, the Duke shook his head and turned to Dasnie and Jadof. He laughed at them before remarking, "With all due respect, Your Highness, something is impairing your judgment. . . perhaps you should arrest of it for awhile." He glared at Jadof. Jadof simply glowered back at him, his usual soft eyes turning into a quick sharp, piercing stare. 

Turning his head, Duke Eraged glanced at Briar only and raised an eyebrow. "I like you boy, you've got pluck." He walked to the head of the table and sat down at the top seat, "But you've got a little too much spirit." Settling in his large wooden chair, he waved a hand at the table. "Come sit down; the matters we talk about are quite confidential, and _that_ is why I cannot talk of such matters with your young students." 

No one moved for a few seconds before, clearing her throat, Sandry moved to the table and sat at the seat left to the Duke. Removing a napkin from the table, she glanced at her dinner. "This looks delicious, Duke Eraged." Picking up her spoon, she dished into her soup bowl and took a quick sip. 

Dasnie and Jadof were next. Jadof sat to his father's right and Dasnie sat next to him. Daja exchanged glances with Tris before they both moved to the table and both sat next to the right of the Duke. 

Briar stood glaring at the Duke, his hands clenched. Pursing his lips together, he finally walked up to the table, shoved aside the seat next to Sandry and dumping himself unceremoniously into it. 

As much as Briar liked Jadof, he passionately hated the Duke. 

When Briar finally sat down, the Duke looked up at the group and smiled smoothly. "Now that we're all seated; I will comence on what I have been instructed to tell you." He poured himself a glass of wine, sipped it, before continuing, "I'm sure you all are wondering why you have come to Madab. That is most understandable. Now, let me remind you, I cannot and will not tell you everything, but there is a general history of Madab that I can tell you." He took another sip of his wine, before turning to Sandry, "Empress Sandrilene, you are quite aware that Madab is the oldest still-running empire in the world, are you not?" 

Sandry looked at him before answering hesitantly, "Yes. . . yes I am." She scrunched her eyebrows together and asked, "How do you know about my heir to the throne of. . .?" 

"Yes, of coarse you are," Duke Eraged interrupted. He took another sip. "And you also probably aware that, once, Madab had the best natural and complex ecosystem in the entire world. Once, only twenty miles from here, there was a tropical rain forest. This used to be a volcano." Letting the shock settle in their brains, he continued, "Suddenly, about a hundred years ago, Madab began to drastically change. The volcano accumulated a ice cap on the top of it. The climate kept changing. Suddenly, this area became warmer, and the ice cap melted. That is why this is called a Pingo. If you would look at the North Wing of the _Quetat Veyla_, you will see a large body of water. That was once an ice cap." He stopped here, a long period of silence descending over them. 

Shifting his his seat, Briar glared at the Duke, "And. . .?" He asked, his voice impatient. 

"And," Duke Eraged continued, but not before glaring at Briar, "No one knows how these things take place. That is why you are here. Madab is torn between climates. Either freezing or extraordinary warm. Hard on the ecosystem, I must say." 

Everyone stayed silent, pushing food around their plates. Finally, warily, Daja offered, "It could just be a natural occurrence. What makes you feel that _we_ can do anything?" 

Suddenly, for no apparent reason, the Duke laughed. "My dear," He said, still laughing, "I don't think you quite understand me. . . we _don't_ know if you can do anything. But, I know for a fact that this is not just a 'natural occurrence'. No, this is something deeper, deadlier. . ." He stopped, still chuckling. Pondering, he finally spoke: "You are our last hope, I'm afraid. Madab is dying. Yes, sadly, we _are_ dying. The last thing we can place our hands in is a group of teenagers that supposedly possess great power." Stopping, he glanced at them all, eyes resting slightly on each one, before he shook his head. "Well, that is all I can tell you I'm afraid. Jadof will accompany you to a ferry to take you to Sarai Island and then take you to the_ Eliaso qu Vernon_, the royal palace. Princess Dasniel should be able to guide you once you reach there." 

Quickly shooting his head up at Dasnie, Briar eyed her. She didn't look back at him. Instead, she ceremoniously sipped her soup. Shaking his head, he turned to Jadof, "While we're on the subject of royals," he paused and stared at Dasnie, "how come you never mentioned that you were the Princess?" He directed his statement directly at Dasnie. 

Sandry looked up and added, "Even I wasn't aware of this." 

Briar rolled his eyes. Well, that was a comfort. Sandry didn't know about _something._

Dasnie stopped eating her soup and stared up at the group of mages. Blinking, she shrugged her shoulders. "You never implied that you wished to know." 

"That's a little hard to do when you don't know a clue about these sort of things," Tris said tartly, her eyes squinted on Dasnie. 

It would probably have been better that she had never spoken, for the Duke shot his head up quickly and nearly shouted, "Now I know where I have heard your name." Throwing back his head, he laughed. Tris looked up at him in wide eyes in horror and edged away from him in her seat. Still laughing, he pointed his finger at Tris. "That's right. By Mithros. . . Trisana Chandler! How could I have forgot?" Shaking his head, Duke Eraged smiled crookedly at her, "My dear friend in Janaal, Baroness Audrey told me about you!" 

Tris' eyes suddenly grew extremely wide and she back away in her chair. "You know. . .you know her?" 

Briar glanced at Tris in confusion. 

Chuckling, Duke Eraged nodded his head, "Quite. I was a friend of her husband, but when he died, I seemed to become her good friend." Shaking his head, he chuckle madly, "And to think all this time I had Baroness Audrey's son's fiancé here with me!" 

Briar was taking a hesitant sip of his soup when he heard Duke Eraged say this. Nearly spitting a mouthful out, Briar gagged for a few seconds, while Sandry and Daja stared open-mouthed at Tris for awhile. Wiping off his mouth, Briar finally managed to stare at Tris before exclaiming, "What?!" 

Blushing profusely, Tris pushed her soup around in her bowl. 

Briar exchanged a glance with Sandry, who simply mirrored his own astonishment. 

Well, that's wonderful. The Circle was just full of secrets. 

"That's not entirely true," Tris finally managed, her face an uncharacteristic red. "Me and Donovan aren't officially engaged. I mean, I suppose we've talked about getting married, but nothing really came out of it. . ." 

"Wait a second here!" Briar exclaimed, before running a hand through his hair. Staring at Tris, she was still blushing into her soup. "Number one: Who the hell is this Donovan? And Number two: Why haven't we heard of him?" His tone was loud and somewhat rude. Sandry stepped on his foot under the table. Yelping in sudden pain, Briar glared accusedly at her. She simply smiled tartly back at him. 

Turning to Tris, Sandry smiled sympathetically and cooed, "Tris, dearest, what is this all about?" 

Still looking intently into her soup, Tris shook her head. "I was on a trip with Niko to Ceteh, the capital of Janaal, and my horse managed to go lame in the middle of the journey. We stopped at a manor for help, and, well. . . Donovan was there." She stopped there, letting the rest of the circle decide what happened beyond that. 

Briar just stared at her warily before leaning back in his chair. Throwing a napkin over his face, he muttered underneath it, "I give up. I Just. Give. Up!" 

They sat in awkward silence, no one knowing how to commence on normal conversation. Tris stared deeply into into her food, Sandry fiddled nervously with her hands, Daja bit her lip, Briar sulked under his napkin, and Jadof and Dasnie exchanged glances. Duke Eraged simply laughed at the mood within the room before exclaiming, "And to think I had Baroness Audrey's future daughter-in-law with me!" 

Briar snorted at that underneath his napkin. Sandry kicked him under the table again, and then pretended like she didn't. 

They sat like that for a few minutes, before Jadof finally chirped, "Hey, does anyone want to hear a joke?" Briar was about to object, but Jadof didn't let anyone answer before commencing on with his joke. "Okay, a cabbage, an egg, a faucet, and a tomato got into a race. How did the race turn out?" He looked around the table anxiously, and then at Dasnie. She simply stared back at him blankly, her face an emotionless palate. 

"I do not know, Jadof. How did the race come out?" Dasnie finally asked, her voice sounding emotionless. 

Smiling, Jadof beamed: "The cabbage came out a_head_, the egg got _beat_, the faucet is still _running_, and the tomato is still trying to _ketch-up_!" He laughed at his own joke, his father immediately chuckled, Sandry and Daja burst out laughing at the total corniness of it, and Briar, in his mood, snorted. Even Tris giggled. 

However, Dasnie stared at him, obviously not comprehending the point of it. She blinked at him before staring at the people who were laughing. Raising an eyebrow, she asked, "Where was this race, Jadof?" 

Jadof stopped laughing and smiled tiredly at Dasnie. Shaking his head, a piece of light-blond hair fell in front of his eyes. "Someday," he said, looking directly at Dasnie, "I'm going to make you laugh again." 

She stared back at him, before a slight smile played at the edges of her lips, "Yes, perhaps someday you will, Jadof. Perhaps you will." 

--------------------------------------------------------- 

Evvy was mad. Very mad. Not only did she not get to eat dinner with her Pahan and his friends, but now, Pahan Briar would tell her nothing about what they discussed in there. In fact, he was downright grumpy. 

When he had come into the room that had they both had to share for the night, she interrogated him so much that he finally screamed at her, "GO TAKE A BATH!" 

"Fine! I'll do just that!" She had retorted before grabbing a robe and heading out the door. She made a point to slam the door on her way out. 

Running down the _Quetat Veyla's _stairs, Evvy followed Jadof's directions and started to head to the back of the large castle. However, on the way there, she caught sight of a large billowing mass of white hair. Stopping in her tracks, Evvy backed away a few paces and looked out a window. There was a circular balcony outside, and Dasnie was standing there. 

Looking around the room, Evvy found a knob that was connected to the window and turned it cautiously. Slowly the window pushed out into the balcony, and Evvy peered around the door's corner. Dasnie never turned her head to look at Evvy. Licking her lips, Evvy stood outside before instantly wrapping her arms around herself. Even though it was warmer here at the _Quetat Veyla, _it was still pretty chilly. 

Evvy voiced this, "It's pretty cold to be out very long." 

"Yes, this is true." Dasnie continued to look out towards the landscape, where a large lake that was surrounded by evergreens lay. She said nothing else. 

Fidgeting noisily, Evvy stared at Dasnie's back. She was oddly silent, even though she was silent most of the time. Shivering, Evvy squinted at her. Evvy wanted to know something. She had noticed it earlier that day, and it had intrigued her. Most likely because it reminded her of her Pahan and Sandry. And of course, she didn't hold back from the question: "Do you love Jadof?" 

Dasnie finally turned around and looked down at Evvy. Her long hair blew slightly in the wind, but her stare remained sharp and piercing. Biting her lip, she finally spoke. "Yes, I suppose I love Jadof very much; he's been my best friend ever since I was a small child." Staring at Evvy, she then continued, "Does that answer your question?" 

Frowning, Evvy shook her head. "I didn't mean like that," she wined before hugging herself harder, "I meant, are you in love with him? I mean, it's just the way you look at him. . ." 

A sudden flash of surprise flashed through Dasnie's face. Blinking at Evvy, she turned her face away, and stared at the sky. Evvy watched as Dasnie's eyes softened, she finally muttered, "I. . .I. . ." and the words died on her tongue. Pursing her lips, she suddenly turned to Evvy and commanded, "You should go inside. I have adapted to this weather. You have not." With that, she somehow managed to shoo Evvy out the balcony door without anything but a mumble of a protest. 

As the balcony door slammed in her face, Evvy stared bitterly at it. Shoulders slumped, she started to walk towards the bathing area. 

Frowning, she mumbled, "No one ever tells me anything." 

------------------------------------------------------------------ 

Briar had been waiting for nearly an hour for Evvy. Most of the time she was gone, he tried to clear his mind with meditation, but it failed miserably. There were too many things running through his mind at the same time. 

Sandry's the Empress, she's pregnant, Tris is pretty much married to some stiff in Janaal, and Dasnie's the queen's daughter. Not to mention he had to find a way for Evvy and Pasco to stay as far away from each other as humanly possible, and he was thinking of all of the million ways he could murder the Duke's ugly bird. 

Staring gloomily at his door, Briar groaned and pulled himself off his bed and weakly made himself out of his room. Suspicions started to settle his mind. Not only didn't he trust that boy, Pasco, but he also didn't trust that creep of a guy, Duke Eraged. Last time he had "talked" with Evvy, he had told her to go take a bath. So, heading towards the back of the castle, Briar slumped himself around, his mind not really direct on where he was going. 

His mind was possibly a thousand miles away. Turmoil swam unmercifully in his brain, making his turn over the same thought. Sandry's pregnant. Sandry's pregnant. Wanting nothing more than to go smack himself on the head to stop thinking about it, Briar didn't notice as he crashed into someone. 

The person slipped on their feet and started to fall backwards from the impact, but Briar grabbed their wrists and shoved them up towards him. Both of them hit chest-to-chest, the person letting out a loud, "Ouf!" 

The person remained there, at his chest, head buried into it. Briar looked ahead in shock for a few seconds before he glanced down at the person he had nearly mauled over. 

A tiny head stood looking into his chest, head vibrating. Long, ashy-blonde hair was pulled back in a loose pony-tail at the nape of the neck, and the hair bobbed up and down. 

Briar sighed inwardly. It was Sandry, and now he had probably hurt her by slamming into her. 

But suddenly a loud laugh echoed throughout the room. Looking down in shock, Briar watched in amusement as Sandry bent her head back in laughter. Her whole mouth was open from laughing, and her whole body shook. 

Managing to squeak in between laughing, Sandry said, "Oh Briar!" More laughter. "My Gods, I'm sorry. It's just that. . . It's just that," she stopped, shaking her head. "It's just that I'm so clumsy!" She looked at him in the eye, her eyes glittering with giddiness. 

It was the first time Briar saw Sandry's eyes vanish sadness completely. Smiling down at her, Briar looked at her as she laughed. She looked so. . . carefree. He hadn't seen her look like that since. . . since the night on the roof when him and her were fourteen. 

Finally managing to control herself, Sandry looked up at him and smiled shyly. "Hey. . ." she said slightly, but not saying anything else. 

Looking down at her, Briar smiled back before noticing the clinch that they were in. Suddenly feeling extremely awkward, he pushed himself gently away from Sandry. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm down the thumping in his chest. 

He _hated_ when this happened. No, what he hated most was that is happened at all. 

"Hey," he stuttered nervously, "have you seen Evvy around?" He shoved a hand in his pocket, trying to look distracted. 

Biting her lip, Sandry grabbed her long hair from the back and started to braid in off to the side. She nodded her head. "Yeah, Evvy's in the bathing area still. Daja's braiding her hair." She smiled sweetly to herself, before looking back at Briar. He was trying his best not to look at her. 

"Briar?" 

"Hm?" Briar asked, not looking directly at her, but more just at her face in the corner of his eye. 

Sandry half-frowned at him before commanding lightly, "Briar, look at me." 

Slowly, Briar cast down his eyes at her. She looked at him strangely before smiling. Even her smile reached her eyes now. Feeling his heart start to speed up, Briar silently cursed. Running his tongue over his teeth, he looked at her. She had the burgundy robe that Duke Eraged's consorts gave them earlier on. It only came to the knee. She was still braiding her wet hair and her face and skin shimmered in the candlelight. But, what was most noticeable was her swelled stomach. It wasn't terribly large, but enough to notice. 

Sandry saw where his stares were directed, and she smiled before rubbing her abdomen. "I have my clothes spelled so that you can't tell that I'm pregnant." She paused, "This isn't one of my clothes." 

Briar nodded his head before shifting uncomfortably. Looking at her while she braided her long hair, something struck his. Scrunching his eyebrows together, Briar asked, "How long till, you have the. . . ya know, the baby?" It felt extremely strange to say that. 

"I'm seven months along now," Sandry whispered sheepishly, before she rubbed her stomach. 

Reeling back his head, Briar opened his eyes wide. Seven whole months. . . 

Sandry giggled at his expression before tying her braid and swinging over her shoulder. Licking her lips, she suddenly commented, "That reminds me. Briar, there's something I need to ask of you. . . in private." 

Looking down at her, Briar smiled crookedly. "Ask away." 

"Not here, you goon!" Sandry whispered sharply, punching him in the shoulder. 

"Why not?" 

Her shoulders sagged physically before she said, "Well, Number one: I don't want to take any chances of anyone hearing." She looked around the hallway and nodded with her head. "And Number two. . ." she wagged her finger for Briar to come nearer. Looking a her suspiciously, he stepped closer and leaned towards her. Sandry then whispered in his ear, "Number two: I'm _naked _under this robe." 

Instantaneously, Briar blushed. His flushed expression was enough even to see in the dim candlelight. 

Sandry laughed at his expression before grabbing his hand and saying, "Come on, Plant mage. Let's go up to my room for a chat." 

_______________________________________________   


_Well, there it is. I hope people will still actually still read this story. There will still be a lot more twists. Anywho, you can go to the website at www.geocities.com/emelan5/discipline.html. Check it out: It's not that bad of a site. Oh, the plot-bunny bit me and told me to write a story about Tris and Sandry. Would anybody actually read it if I wrote it?_

_Anyway, I'll love you forever if you review. Pwetty pwease? I'm sick and need the cheering up. Ug, I just_ _took some medication and can hardly read what I'm typing. Better go to bed._   
  
  
  



	7. Big Requests and Memories

_Disclaimer: Short 'en sweet. . . don't own, don't sue._   
___________________________________________ 

Howe'er it be, it seems to me,   
'T is only noble to be good.   
Kind hearts are more than coronets,   
and simple faith than Norman Blood.   
~ Alfred Tennyson   
____________________________________________****

**Chapter 7: Big Requests and Memories**

As they walked swiftly through the corridors, Briar could hear their footsteps echo throughout the hallway. Sandry wasn't holding his hand anymore, but had a tight grasp around his wrist. Her eyes darted throughout the hallway nervously, as if to look for some secret spy that was hiding in the castles deep shadows. Her breathing had quickened, and her lips had lowered from a smile to a pursed frown. 

Briar opened his mouth to say something sarcastic, but then slowly closed it. For some reason, his mouth could had been clamped together and it wouldn't have made a difference. He was utterly and completely tongue-tied, something that rarely, if ever, happened. Needless to say, neither one of them spoke. 

When they rounded what seemed like the hundredth corner, they came upon a large door, which had a large silver doorknob. Sandry looked up at Briar and released her grip on his wrist and said quietly, "Here's my room." Then, gingerly, she opened her door. 

The room itself wasn't very large, but the furnishings were rich. Off to the left there was a small fireplace, which glowed brightly in the absence of any other light other than some pale moonlight that filtered from a window above. There was a table and a embroidered chair towards the back, and big, canopy bed laid directly in the middle of the room. The bed had large, fluffy pillows, and rich throw rug that was softly knit. A huge portrait of a stiff looking noble hung above the bed, and the man in it seemed to peer down at Briar with evil, condescending eyes. 

"Are you just going to stand there and gawk like a open-mouthed fish?" 

Briar found himself simply staring at the room, and not walking forward. Suddenly snapping out of his aura, he shook his head before mumbling, "No. . . I'm coming." Shuffling himself inside the room, Briar gave it another double take before mentioning, "Where's Pasco sleeping?" 

Sandry shut the door behind him and locked it before answering, "He's staying in the room across the hallway." 

Twirling around and staring at Sandry, Briar spat, "He gets his own room?" 

She blinked at him surprise before smiling hesitantly, "Yes. . . why wouldn't he?" 

Briar simply glared blankly, silently cursing the Duke. If he wasn't related to the Queen, the man would be quickly dead. 

Suddenly, he heard Sandry giggle. "You have to room with Evvy. . . don't you?" 

Briar just glared at her before mumbling some curses. Sandry just laughed at him. 

"No offense, Briar, but I don't think the Duke likes you that much." Sandry walked further into her room, before opening her luggage that was on the bed. She pulled a nightdress out of it, before looking up at Briar. 

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms across his chest. He cast his eyes off to the side, glaring into the fireplace before mumbling, "The feeling's mutual." He heard her giggle at him and he slowly looked up at her. The sadness had somewhat returned to her eyes, but her smile still seemed genuine. He smiled crookedly at her, and her smiled broadened. They stood like that, smiling and staring quietly at each other, for awhile before Briar shook his head. 

He hated when that happened. 

"So, uh, what did you want to talk to me about?" He asked in a forced casual manner before he shoved a hand into his pocket, trying to act non-chalantly. 

Sandry blinked her eyes before her smile slowly vanished. Shaking her head up and down, she said, "Right. But before we do that, I'm going to change into my nightclothes." She yawned softly. "I'm so tired." Glancing up at Briar, Sandry blinked wearily. "Could you turn around, or close your eyes or something?" 

"Huh?" Briar asked, staring at Sandry. She raised an eyebrow at him and nodded slightly at her nightclothes. Blushing at his density, Briar rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh. . . right." He turned timidly around before folding his arms across his chest. 

Well, this was awkward. 

He stood like that for a few seconds, face blazing, before Sandry called out, "All right, Plant Mage. It's safe and clear." 

Briar turned around cautiously, his eyes not looking directly at Sandry at first. Slowly, he averted his eyes from the fireplace to her. She was looking at him with a raised eyebrow, her hair braided and her face glowing faintly from the fire. Her swelled stomach had disappeared under her spelled clothes. The nightgown flowed down to her feet in a soft, velvet yellow. 

Sandry looked at him, her head slightly cocked. "Is there something wrong?" 

Briar shook his head and said, "No, I'm fine." Still staring at her, he sighed slowly before adding, "And. . .? You wanted to tell me something?" 

"I didn't forget," She returned, frowning at him. Swallowing, she walked towards Briar before she stopped a few feet in front of him. She looked him square in the eye. "Briar, I'm about to ask you a huge favor. . . something that could change your life forever. If you don't want to do it, you don't have to. But, Briar. . ." Sandry bit her lip and scrunched her eyebrows together. She tore her eyes from his, stared into the fire before averting her eyes back to his, ". . . you're my last hope." 

Something fluttered nervously in Briar stomach at the tone of Sandry's voice. Shifting nervously under her stare, Briar looked down at her. Her eyes had turned from sadness to a look of. . . desperation. Frowning, Briar shook his head. "What is it Sandry? Tell me what you want me to do." 

She bit her lip, glanced down at the floor before looking back up at him. "I want you to, to. . . adopt my baby when it's born." 

It hit him like a thousand piles of rocks. Briar stared at her, not sure if he heard her right. He couldn't have. Or at least, Briar was quite sure he couldn't have. Mouth slightly agape, he blinked at Sandry. He finally managed to utter, "What did you say?" 

"I want you to adopt the child when it's born." 

Briar looked away from her, shut his mouth and stared into the fireplace. Either he had gone stark raving mad or Sandry was really asking him this. He shook his head. Mumbling incoherently, he slowly looked at Sandry, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "What. . .? Why. . .? How. . . ? I, uh, you, wa..." 

Putting a finger over his mouth, Sandry silenced the stunned Briar before looking him in the eye. "Briar, I know this is a shock. I don't blame you for being surprised. But, Briar, listen to me." Briar had someone managed to look back into the fireplace again, his eyes dialated from astonishment. Sandry grabbed his chin and directed it so that he was looking back at her face. "This is important. I wouldn't do this if circumstance were all together different. But they aren't. Gods know that I wish they were." She paused, looking into his face. Sighing, she glared at him, " Briar, are you are even hearing this?" 

Something clicked inside his brain, so that he was left with a raw feeling of confusion. Blinking at Sandry, Briar shut his mouth and opened his eyes. "I hear you, Sandry, but I sure as hell don't believe you." Running a shaky hand through his hair, Briar walked slightly away from her. "What kind of of 'circumstances' are we talking about here?" He asked, his voice edged with sarcastic disbelief. 

Sandry frowned at him before stating coldly, "Like something along the lines my child would have to live as an outcast. Like a disease that might infect a family. Like my child would have to grow up thinking that they weren't good enough to become anything, let alone an Empress." Stiffly folding her arms across her chest, she glared at Briar. "Like those kind of circumstances." 

Suddenly feeling guilt peel through his stomach like thick acids, Briar blinked at Sandry. His face softened and he stared at her in confusion. "Why? Why would they have to live like that?" 

She sighed before letting her hands dangle at her sides. She walked up to him before she glanced into the fire. Swallowing, she shook her head. "The Norman people are extremely superstitious people when it comes to matters of death. They think that it's a bad omen when a mother dies giving birth to a child. Even worse is when their father dies before the birth. They're. . ." she paused, here eyes suddenly turning watery, "they're expected to live their lives away from their family. . . . away from everyone. They're supposedly supposed to be a curse, an unfavored one of the Gods. It like a Trader custom, just more. . . terrible." By this time, her voice became shaky, and it was obvious that she might cry. She was still facing the fire and her face never glanced up at Briar, but tears swam sorrowfully in her eyes. 

Briar swallowed thickly. Great, just what he needed. A teary female who was asking him to take a child as his own. Rubbing his eyes, Briar muttered, his hands covering his hands somewhat, "So you want me to lie to this child and say that their mother, what? Died? And that I'm their father?" 

Her head snapped up and she glared at him. "No. That's not what I said." 

"Well, what exactly _are_ you saying Sandry?" Briar snapped in frustration, his mind torn between trying to sympathize with Sandry or being just being down-right mad at her for even suggesting such a thing. 

Pursing her lips, Sandry sighed before explaining, "I want you to take the child. They can know that I'm the mother, and who the real father is, but, Briar," she looked pitifully at him, "nobody else can know that they're my child. No one. They'll send them into disgrace. I. . . I would ask Tris, but she's about to get married and have children herself, and Daja is so involved in her blacksmithing." 

Biting his lip, Briar folded his arms across his chest. "What about having an heir to the throne? That's just sorta important." 

Sandry winced silently. He heard her sigh, before stating, "You know, Briar, I just might marry again." 

Briar stiffened at her words, the hairs on the back at his neck prickling. 

Why exactly did he react like that? Shaking his head, Briar forced himself not to think about it. Enough confusion was already settling into his brain. 

"Oh, really?" Briar finally questioned, his voice tense. 

He heard her sigh again. "Actually I don't think it won't be much of an issue. I'm planning on abolishing the Monarchy in the Namorn Empire." 

Another shock. Briar scrunched his eyebrows together. "What?!" 

Sandry glanced up at him, her lips pursed. "You heard me right." Looking back into the fire, she continued, "I'm sick of it, the whole stupid Noble system. Just because you're born into a certain family, you have the right to rule. It's a real dumb way of ruling lands. " She paused, letting her sentence settle. "I'm going to set up another form of government. Oligarchy. That's what's its official name is. It lets several people rule at the same time, serving so that one person has too much power. And you have to earn the position. You can't become it just because of birth." 

Briar snorted. "And how long is _that_ going to take?" He asked, his voice sarcastic. 

"About, roughly, ten to twenty years, if things go according to planned," Sandry retorted, not willing to let Briar have the upper hand of the argument. She folded her arms across her chest before huffing. 

Shaking his head, he glared into the fire. "You're going to do away with hundreds of years of tradition in ten to twenty years?" 

"Yes." 

Rolling his eyes, Briar cracked a crooked smile that he hoped Sandry didn't see. If she only knew how he admired her brave, if not stubborn attitude, he'd be embarrassed for life. He'd never live it down. Not in a hundred years. 

They stood in awkward silence for awhile, before Sandry finally said, shyly, "Also, Briar, I want the child to have a. . . a father." She slowly tore her gaze away from the fire, her eyes soft on his face. 

Briar, feeling her stare, looked down at her, his eyes blazing with confusion. However, when his eyes connected with hers, the confusion melted, and his eyes immediately softened. Staring down into her eyes, he licked his dry lips and tried to tear his eyes away. 

It was happening again. Briar tried to tear his eyes away or tried to make some kind of deep anger arise from the bottom of his stomach. Nothing came. Instead, he simply looked down at her, sinking into her liquid blue eyes. 

"Briar?" Sandry asked, her voice soft and whispery. 

"Hm?" 

She opened her mouth, as if she was going to say something, but then she shut it. Frowning, she finally said, "Promise me you'll think about it. About adopting the baby. Okay?" 

Briar suddenly snapped out of his aura. Blinking, he tore his eyes away from hers and nodded his head slowly. "Yeah, I will." He gave her a half-smile. She smiled back at him. 

A sudden tiredness glazed over her eyes, and she yawned. "I'm so tired," Sandry managed to say in between her yawn. Stretching, she walked over to her bed before throwing herself on it. Giggling at herself, she laid on her back, glancing on the picture above her head. "It's gonna be hard to sleep tonight with that guy looking at me." 

Briar rolled his eyes before growling, "Consider yourself lucky. . . Evvy snores." 

Sandry laughed at him, her laughter echoing throughout out the room. After her laughter subsided to slight giggles, they stood in complete silence. 

Moonlight streamed in from to window left of Sandry's bed, and cast a pale light over her hair, over her pale arms. Briar glanced at her, laying serenely on her bed. Memories suddenly filled into his brain, and before he could stop himself, he blurted out, "Have you ever thought that night. . . on the roof?" 

Sandry immediately stiffened, before her eyes cast over by Briar. Her smiled faded and she licked her lips. "Briar, that was a long time ago. We were young and we. . . you were young!" She moaned before turning over on her side. "Let's not talk about it, okay?" 

Wanting nothing more than to smack himself, Briar nodded hastily. He bit his lip, before looking at the moonlight. It now streamed over her face, which was tranquil, and her eyes were closed. 

"Sandry, do you ever think about what I asked you?" He asked her quietly, not really knowing why he asked it. Fortunately for him, Sandry didn't answer. Instead, her steady breathing permeated the room. She was asleep. 

Sighing, Briar walked slowly up to her bed. Peeling back the covers, he tucked Sandry inside the bed, making sure the blankets covered her completely. Smoothing back her hair, Briar looked down at her face, soft and peaceful in the moonlight. Biting his lip, he gingerly pushed back a piece of ashy-blonde hair that had escaped the loose braid and had fallen in front of her eyes. Smiling softly to himself, Briar leaned towards her face and whispered, "Good-night, Sandry." Then, just barely, he softly brushed his lips over her forehead. Something electric jumped from his lips to the very tips of his toes. 

Jumping up as if he had been stung, Briar backed away from Sandry's bed. Running a nervous hand through his hair, he quickly nodded at Sandry, as if she could see him. Quickly extinguishing the fire in the fireplace, Briar hurried himself out of Sandry room, not bothering to shut the door quietly on his way out. 

Once out, he leaned against the door. Briar chewed the inside of his cheek and frowned. 

This had to stop _now_. This feeling, like there was something stirring inside his stomach, and the way his pulse sped up when Sandry did the littlest gestures, like touch his arm or smile at him. 

It had to stop. 

But a little voice in the back of Briar's mind kept persisting, "Why? Why does it have to stop? Remember what she said to you that night on the roof. Remember how she. . ."   


Briar cut off himself from his thoughts before stomping down to his room. Sleep would conquer the turmoil, and tomorrow he could just be concerned with meeting the queen. 

* * *

  


**Clearing up Some Stuff About the Story**

**(Read if you have questions and stuff.)**

****

****

**Sexuality: ** Some people were concerned that this chapter would end up being a steamy sex scene. . . as you can see, it isn't. I don't write them, not because I have anything against i t, but only for the fact that I don't think it would give any merit in the this story, I don't write them well (very corny and unromantic if not written well), and well, like someone said, it would just be plain nasty (Sandry being 7 months pregnant and all). Anywho, don't fret my dear readers. . . **this story is only rated PG-13 because of language and a bit of violence.**

**The "i'm naked under this robe" comment: **Ug, I did this in my other story. I made a comment that was kinda, er. . .two-sided. I _really_ didn't mean to anything about that nasty. It was intended to be a kind of oblivious "Sandry comment." Like she says without realizes that it could be taken more than one way. She said more or less for the fact that she felt awkward standing in the middle of a hallway with just a robe on. **Crashes head in computer** I never fail at doing this. Oh well, now I cleared it up. 

**Ages: **I'm sorry, should have cleared this up before hand. Everyone in the circle is eighteen now. So, Sandry got married when she was about 16, (hey, it happens people!) and then got pregnant when she was a little over 17.****

**MOST IMPORTANT; The overall strange-ness of this plot:** Yes, I know that this isn't a typical CoM fanfic plot, and overall it's kinda weird, but see, that was my intention. I wanted to have a more complex and strange twisted one (reading too much Charles Dickens does that to ya). My last ficcy was kind of sappy and well, not weird. I just felt like doing this for a change. If you hate weird fics, I'm working on another one that isn't nearly half as strange. Just to let you know that I'm not a total weird-o to the core. 

Anywho, just thought that might help clear any questions that you had. If it doesn't, send any other questions via review or my e-mail, and I'll gladly answer them. 

Toodles, people!****

  



	8. Explosions

_Disclaimer: Then the bunny ran through the forest screaming, "THE POPTARTS ARE AFTER ME ALONG WITH A HUGE HOARD OF RABID GORILLAS!" That's actually weird-ish for, "Don't own any characters except the ones I make up, and even then, I'm so poor I probably don't even own THEM. If you'd like them, they're all yours. Just don't sue me."_   
WARNING: FLUFF IS AHEAD! DON'T READ IF YOU'RE NOT IN THE MOOD FOR ROMANCE!!!   
______________________________________________________________________________

Though my soul may set in darkness,   
it will rise in perfect light;   
I have loved the stars too fondly   
to be fearful of the night.   
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**Chapter 8: Explosions**

The stars twinkled coldly against a curtain of black night. Briar stared blankly at the sky from Discipline's rooftop, his mind thousands of miles away from Discipline. He picked a scab on his left arm, unconscious that he was doing it, but aware of one thing. Downstairs was a suitcase, packed and ready to leave for Discipline the next day. After that, there would be no Discipline garden, there would be no Tris to get angered, there would be no Daja to laugh with, and there would be no Sandry to pull braids. There would be nothing familiar, nothing to cling too, and a future that was highly uncertain. And, although Briar was used to it, he didn't like it. 

Sighing, Briar shook his head. He hated when he got like this. It was like some kind of infectious disease had crawled under his skin and was sucking the very sanity out of his brain. 

A sudden pain brought him back to reality. Biting his lip, Briar looked down to see that his unconscious picking had made his scab come off. Blood started to erupt from the now exposed wound. "Dammit," he grumbled, gritting his teeth. Trying to stop the bleeding, Briar winced. Dirty fingers didn't feel very good against raw flesh. 

"Ouch," Somebody spoke lightly beside him. Briar looked up sharply, his eyes suddenly glittering with alertness. Blinking his eyes, he saw Sandry stare down at him. Seeing her, his muscles relaxed, and he looked down at his bleeding wound before looking looking back at her. Seeing his stare up at her, Sandry smiled lightly. A breeze blew through the warm Emelan air, making her hair flutter in front of cool blue eyes. Her hands rested at her sides, staring at Briar's picked over scab. Briar found a smile playing on his lips, before he realized that he was doing it. Frowning, he quickly looked down at his scab and grunted. 

He heard Sandry sigh before coming closer to him. Picking up the hem of her skirt, she sat down, her blue cotton nightdress resting at her knees. Wiggling her toes, she glanced over at Briar. She bit her lip before asking, "Are you okay?" 

He felt her stare at him, her eyes boring into his skull. It was the strangest thing when she did that, stare at him. Briar didn't like it. 

Plus, she was sitting awfully close. 

Shifting uncomfortably under her gaze, Briar pursed his lips and shrugged. "It doesn't hurt, it's just gonna get infected now that I opened it up again." 

"That's not what I was talking about." 

He glanced up at her in surprise. Her eyes pierced into his, and her hair flowed delicately around her arms. Her hair had gotten quite long in the last few months. 

Why hadn't he noticed it? Briar shook his head. Maybe because he wasn't_ supposed_ to. 

Licking his lips, he blinked at Sandry. She smiled at him, her eyes slightly glazed over. "What do you mean?" He asked softly, still staring at her. A wind puffed throughout the air. It picked up her hair and placed it around her face. 

Sighing, Sandry shook her head. She put her knees up to her chin before saying, "Never mind. I just thought you might be, well. . . upset." She glanced over at him, raising a questioning eyebrow. 

Slightly taken aback, Briar reeled his head back. "What gives you that idea?" He asked, his voice slightly defensive. He didn't know how long Sandry had been outside, but it sounded like she had been out there long enough to see him spaced out. 

Briar's suspicions were right. Smiling smugly, Sandry started to list, "Well, for one thing: You were staring off in the sky, and your eyebrows were all scrunched together like you were thinking about something. Second: You NEVER sigh. You just sighed." 

Briar looked at her in horror before stuttering defensively, "I _did not_ sigh!" 

She smiled deviously at him before replying, "Oh, but you did, Briar Moss. Third: You always pick scabs when you're nervous, or tired, or angry, or upset, or. . ." 

"Okay, I get the point!" Briar exclaimed, glaring at her. Leaning back on his elbows, he shook his head. "Just my dumb luck: A foster sister who knows everything about me." 

Sandry laughed at him, her face beaming. "It's the price you have to pay to live with an extraordinary person such as myself," She remarked before smiling sarcastically at him, and laying a mock-sympathetic hand on his shoulder. 

He just rolled his eyes. Sandry laughed at him some more. 

When Sandry managed to control her laughter to manageable giggles, they both sat in comfortable silence. The blood had stopped flowing from his arm and now there was just a small wound of bright pink flesh. Frowning at it, Briar shook his head. It never failed. . . something got wounded the day before a big journey. He sighed before looking up at the sky. A slight breeze fluttered through the air, sending goose bumps up and down his arm. Or maybe the goose bumps weren't from the breeze. . . . 

Briar ground his teeth before shaking his head. He wasn't going to think like that. 

He heard her sigh, before he felt her lean against his back. "I'm so tired, Briar. I don't want to leave Discipline. I don't want to leave you . . . or Daja and Tris." 

Something swam in his stomach, as if someone had just pushed him off Discipline's roof, but his stomach still resided here, next to Sandry. They simply sat there, leaning against each other for support. Briar knew he should chirp at joke, something to lighten the mood. To make this awful something in his stomach go away. 

A voice screamed in Briar's head to do something. He felt a lump appear in his throat. Oh gods, he wasn't going to cry. . . was he? Briar shook his head, willing to clear in his head. He had come out here for fresh air. Why did it feel like he was suffocating? 

He glanced down at Sandry. Her eyes were closed, but a bitter-sweet smile was plastered on her face. Her hair swirled around her face, and the moon shone off her face. Briar smiled goofily before making himself frown. This was stupid. He didn't need to stop. But, before he could look away, Sandry popped one eye open and glanced up at him. 

She yawned sleepily, before blinking. Smiling up at him, Briar tried to keep a straight face. But he failed miserably. Terribly. 

Then Sandry stirred. Reaching over, she put her finger on his wound. "Does it still hurt?" She asked, her voice soft and lulling. Her finger were cool and soft, unlike his rough and calloused ones. A soothing sensation went up his arm. Sandry looked back up at him, her eyes shy and innocent at the same time. The screaming persisted in Briar's head. He _needed_ to stop this. 

It needed to stop. But it didn't. 

Feeling his heart beat heavy with adrenaline, Briar felt as Sandry reached up and, gingerly, touched his face. Pushing back some hair from his face, she let her finger glide down his jaw. She was as first looking him in the eye, but then she followed her hands, her mouth becoming relaxed. She brushed her hand along his cheek, and Briar sighed, feeling her soft skin glide across his weathered face. Closing his eyes, he felt as she etched her fingers along his face, along his chin, around the scar he had since his street days. 

Something went numb in his mind. It was if the reasoning part of his brain had shut off. All he could concentrate on was the coolness of Sandry's touch, the smoothness of her nails, her gaze. 

What was going on? Briar didn't answer, and further more, he didn't care. 

It all felt so. . . complete? He didn't know. It was like he had been trying to peice together a huge puzzle, and the last few pieces just didn't seem to fit. But, if you turned them a different way, you suddenly saw where it was supposed to go, and how it fitted together. And you felt happy, and frustrated, and confused at the exact same time. 

Suddenly, as if burned, Sandry pulled away. The sensation ended abruptly in Briar's mind. His eyes snapped open and stared down at Sandry. His mind went in full defense mood, blaring red sirens left and right. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Sandy simply stared at him in a mix of confusion and panic. Shaking her head, she back away from him. 

"I. . . I. . . I" She stuttered, her eyes darting around frantically. Nothing came to Briar's mind either. In fact, his mouth felt like cotton. Getting up on her feet, she clumsily stumbled over her nightdress. Looking down at Briar, her eyes swimming with tears, she shook her head. "I don't know what I can tell you Briar," she closed her eyes, sucked in some air, before whispering, as if she didn't want him to hear her, "Not here, not now: wait for me, Briar." With that, she turned around and started to retreat inside Discipline. 

It would have worked, except Briar was too quick for her. Jumping up from his sitting position, he managed to grab her arm. Sandry spun around, looked at him with teary eyes, her hair plastered to her face. Grabbing her other wrist, he looked down at her, eyes squinted. "What's that supposed to mean, Sandry?" He asked, his voice deep. 

It was now that Sandry was supposed to struggle from his grasp, run away, and lock herself in her room until Briar left the next day. But this time, as she looked at him, the tears gone from her eyes, and her face became stern and stiff. Lips pursed, she said, "Briar Moss, it's time to get up." 

Briar reeled back and squinted at Sandry. "What?" 

"Briar Moss, it's time to get up." This time her voice wasn't her own, it sounded like a different person had invaded her body. 

Something suddenly pierced through the dark of night, and Briar immediately knew what was happening. He was about to awake to a new morning, in a bed in Madab, with Evvy's annoying face in his, persisting that he remove himself from his warm bed. 

Blinking in a haze, Briar barely opened his eyes. Groaning, he felt a presence near his bed. He grabbed an extra pillow that laid beside him before turning over and chucking it at Evvy, hoping that she would leave him alone. Instead, when he turned over to the other side of his bed, he saw a tall, stiff young woman standing on the side of his bed. As she saw the pillow come near her head, she moved her upper body to the side, barely avoiding a collision. Coming back up, she stared coldly at Briar. 

Blinking sleepily, Briar stared up at the person beside his bedside. Dark, unblinking eyes met his stare, along with a wave of white hair. 

Dasnie. 

Clearing her throat, she walked to the edge of his bed and picked up one of his large chests. Dasnie looked over it at him, before stating calmly, "You will have to hurry, Briar Moss," she tossed her hair around her shoulder, "your companions are waiting outside for you." With that, she started to exit the room, his large chest of clothes wedged between her shoulder and her head. 

Open mouthed, Briar watched her start to leave his room. Suddenly, reality hit him and he managed to mumble, "Wai. . . Wait!" Dasnie turned around and blinked at him unemotionally. He tore the covers from his bed and stood up, before tripping on his shoes that he had discarded sloppily the other night. Cursing, Briar managed to regain his balance before stammering a multitude of questions, "Where's Evvy? Why are you taking my luggage? Do you know how early it is? And what am I supposed to wear now that you're taking away my clothes?" Panting, Briar glanced up at Dasnie, who was staring back at him, lips pursed. 

She sighed and licked her lips. "Evvy is with Empress Sandrilene, Daja Kisubo, Trisana Chandler. She said that I should wake you for fear that her life might be in danger. She said that you would try to knock her head off. I must tell you though, that a pillow will not take someone's head off." Briar reeled back in shock, half expecting it was some kind of twisted joke. Dasnie's face registered no joking attitude; she was serious and had taken Evvy serious also. "I'm taking your luggage to the carriage outside which will take you to the ferry to Sarai Island. Yes, I know how early it is. It is approximately half an hour till sunrise. And your clothes that you will want to wear to meet the queen are in your armoire. You will be surprised how much the climate changes." Rising an eyebrow, she then continued, "Is that quite all, Briar Moss?" 

Briar swallowed, trying to let all her answers sink in. Running a hand through his tangled hair, he stared around his room. Hanging in a large chest beside his bed, was a thin, white cotton shirt along with a pair of light green britches. Two boots of thin leather were laying underneath the clothes. They looked like awfully thin clothes for the chilly Madabian air. 

"Is there something else that you require?" Dasnie asked, her voice stiff and sharp. 

"Um, no. . ." Briar said, before waving his hand at her as if to shoo her out the room. He heard her exit, before he turned to the clothes. Picking up the shirt, he squinted at the cloth. Tiny, almost invisible, threads of fabric were woven throughout the shirt. Chewing on the inside of his cheek, Briar checked the pair of britches. There was magic woven into them too. He stepped back and examined the clothes. Maybe he shouldn't wear them. However, he threw caution to the wind and took off his nightshirt and put on the other shirt. Quickly slipping into the pants and boots, Briar felt something shiver throughout his body. Suddenly the clothes became instantly warmer, as if adjusting to the temperature in the room. He raised an appraising eyebrow. It looked like Sandry had been doing more with her life than Briar had already assumed. 

He glanced at the mirror that was next to the armoire. Frowning at his disheveled appearance, Briar tucked his shirt into his britches before running a hand through his hair. It didn't help much. Sighing, Briar looked around his room, which was now tinted with the very beginning of a dawning sunlight. Evvy's bed was empty, and it wasn't made. 

Pursing his lips together, Briar shook his head. Not waking him up because she feared for her life. Ridiculous. . . where did she get such ideas? 

Sighing, he walked to the door, glanced around his surroundings before heading outside to everyone else. 

-------------------------------------- 

The first person that Briar saw when he reached outside the _Quetat Veyla _was Duke Eraged. In fact, he nearly plowed into the tall man, as he tried to tuck the back of his shirt into his britches. 

Reeling back from the collision, Briar quickly apologized before knowing it was, "Oh, sorry. . . didn't see you there." 

Immediately the Duke laughed at him, and Briar glanced up at the man, not believing his own dumb luck. Duke Eraged smiled smoothly at him and, to Briar's utmost disgust, his ugly bird was perched on his shoulder. It cawed angrily at him before it craned it's neck at a ninety degree angle, staring at Briar through slanted yellow eyes. 

The group was behind the Duke, all looking at him with amusement. Tris had her thick red hair down, but it flowed down past her shoulders, while she glanced at him over her wire-wimmed glasses. Daja looked at him also, a smug smile on her face. Both of them seemed to enjoy Briar's horror at the bird. Both also wore dresses, which looked strangely foreign on Daja. They seemed undaunted by it, most likely because of Briar's misery. 

He had such great friends. 

Coming around the large carriage was Sandry, who had her hair in a tight array of braids. She had a dress on also, but it was much grander than Tris or Daja's. It hinted royalty in every stitch of it, in every fold of the fabric. Seeing him, she smiled slightly, and the sadness had returned to her eyes. Briar was about to frown at this, but somebody spoke up. 

"So, I see my Pahan decided to wake up after all." It was Evvy. Turning his head slowly, Briar faced her. Her arms were folded stiffly across her chest and her eyes glittered with impatience. And she had a dress on. Seeing this, Briar raised an eyebrow at her. In return, Evvy raised her eyebrow also, before stating coldly, "You do realize that you're. . ." 

"You're a bit late, Mr. Moss. . ." the Duke said, his voice heavy in accent. ". . . But that _was _expected of you." Briar was going to ask him what that meant, but was interrupted by something extremely unexpected. Something rippled throughout the air, like a silent explosion. It felt like the air was knocked right out of his lungs, and Briar doubled over, gasping for air. Darkness ebbed on the sides of his vision while a wave of exhaustion flowed through his veins. He heard Tris groan from the back of the group before Daja yelped in unexpected pain. Sandry screamed before something like bones popping sounded. Evvy gasped before she went eerily quiet. 

The "eruption" only lasted for a few mere seconds, but it was enough. When it was over, Briar gulped large breaths of air, and his vision, although a bit wavy, returned to normal. Pulling himself off his feet, he looked around the grounds. Tris was grabbing her head, her eyebrows stitched together in pain and Daja was in a sweat, her face painted red from heat and fatigue. Daja looked sharply at Briar, both of their eyes echoing confusion. Then, something snapped in their brains at the same time. 

"Sandry!" They exclaimed simultaneously before running around the carriage to where Sandry was. She laid on the ground, curled up in a tiny ball, her chin on her knees. 

Falling to their knees, Briar and Daja stooped down towards Sandry. Her eyes were clamped shut and she was moaning, her hands grasped tightly around her stomach, knuckles white with trepidation. Although it was apparent that she wasn't unconscious, it wasn't quite clear that she was conscious either. It was as if she was in a place in-between those two areas of consciousness. But, one thing that was for sure was that she was in a great deal of pain. Her eyebrow twitched strangely before she moaned. 

Still clutching her head, Tris tapped Briar on the shoulder. He turned around sharply, facing her squinted eyes and pained face. "You all right, Tris?" Briar asked hurriedly, hoping that Tris wasn't about to fall down into a hurting mass like Sandry. 

"Don't worry 'bout me," Tris said through gritted teeth, her eyes glittering in agony. She quickly held out a small sack to Briar, before moaning, "Here, take these. . ." Briar held out his hand before Tris sloppily slapped it into his hand. 

Looking at the sack and then at Tris, Briar raised his eyebrows. "Er, thanks. . ." he paused, blinking in confusion, ". . . what's it supposed to do?" 

Something twitched painfully in Tris' forehead before she said, "It's smelling salts. Should wake her up in a jiff." She then sat down on the ground, breathing heavily and painfully. 

Briar was torn in whether to tend to Tris or Sandry, but finally decided that Tris would probably try to hurt him, even in her disposition, if he tried to help her. So, turning back to Sandry, who was still curled up in misery, he opened the sack clumsily before sniffing the contents inside. Immediately, his eyes watered. 

"Good gods," he mumbled before glancing up at Daja, his eyes swimming. She raised her eyebrows at him before turning Sandry over, so that she was on her back. Giving one last glance up at sack, he shoved it under Sandry's nose. 

Her eyes immediately snapped open in what looked like utter surprise. Coughing like she just came out of water, Sandry immediately sat up. Grouping her stomach, she moaned before coughing again. Briar put a hand behind her back to steady her, but she immediately jumped at his touch, her eyes flapping open at him, wide in horror. 

Seeing it only to be Briar, Sandry relaxed considerably. She was still breathing hard, Daja and Briar simply stared at her with open mouths, unaware of what to say. She didn't seem to be any more pain, except it seemed like she had just run a long race. Briar was about to ask Sandry a question, but he was interrupted by a weak voice behind his back. 

"Pahan Briar. . . what's going on? What just happen?" 

Briar recognized Evvy's voice and turned around. She was standing directly behind him, her knees almost on his back. Her arms were crossed around her chest and her dress was dirty. It looked like she had fallen to the ground from utter shock. But what struck Briar the most was the tears that poured down her face. It poured from her black eyes steadily, falling down her ghostly pale cheeks. He was suddenly torn on wrapping a comforting arm around Evvy's shoulder or tending to Sandry. 

He never got the chance however, for Sandry suddenly spoke. "Did I just _doze off?_" Briar heard her asked, voice hinged with confusion. When he quickly turned to look at Sandry, her eyebrows were knitted together and her eyes were scanning the area. Her mouth was hanging in slight disbelief before she shook her head. "I cannot _believe _I just fell asleep. Of all the ridiculous things to do. . . MY GODS!" Pushing herself off the ground, Briar watched dumbstruck as she stumbled to her feet and started to stream off a couple of uncharacteristic curses at herself. Some of which were in languages he had never heard of. Briar smiled crookedly at her, despite the situation. 

Daja exchanged a look with Briar, who's eyebrows were raised in shock, before getting up and putting a hand on Sandry's arm. "Sandry. . . you didn't doze off." 

Sandry suddenly stopped. Blinking at Daja, she cocked her head suspiciously. "I didn't? Because, I was just dreaming. . ." 

"Dreaming?!" Snorted Tris. "Lucky you! Try at splitting headache! Like somebody shot lightening right through my entire skull." Taking her turn to stand up, Tris look around the group with a pained expression on her face and gleaming in her eyes. 

"Intense heat," Daja mumbled quietly, while Briar said, much louder than Daja, "Took my damn breath away!" 

A sob echoed behind Briar, making him nearly jump around. Evvy was standing behind him, and Pasco had walked up to her and placed a hesitant hand on her shoulder. Her chest racked in silent cries before she stuttered, her breath scarce, "The ro. . . rocks. They were so sad! Gods, so sad!" She sniffled and Pasco squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before adding shyly, "Bones in my feet have never cracked that way 'fore." 

Briar was about to shoot Pasco a keep-your-hands-off-her look, but was interrupted by Sandry. "So. . . what did just happen?" Briar looked up at her, gazing at her confused stance. She was looking behind him, before shooting him a concerned glance, and then looking up again. 

Craning his head around, Briar saw Duke Erraged, Jadof, and Dasnie standing silently behind them. The Duke's usual smug smile had disappeared, and now was replaced by a worried frown. Jadof was looking at them in alarm, his eyes roaming over all of them, before glancing at his father. Dasnie looked about as emotionless as ever to the common onlooker, but Briar could distinctively see surprise. 

Jadof gulped. "Dasnie, is it. . .?" 

"No." She interrupted solidly, her voice strangely firm. 

"But, could it be, ya know, The. . ." 

"No. It is not, Jadof." She threw a look at him. Jadof glanced down at her, his eyes alive with apprehension. 

Briar immediately exchanged glances with Sandry, whose eyebrows were scrunched together in confusion. Biting her lip, she finally spoke. "What are you talking about, Jadof?" 

Jadof looked down at Dasnie, each of them holding each others gaze. Some kind of silent argument was held between the two, before he shook his head sorrowfully. "Nothing, Empress Sandrilene. . ." 

"It's just Sandry. Call me Sandry, please." 

"Sandry. . ." Jadof corrected, saying the words laboriously. 

"There is nothing to worry about," Dasnie added smoothly, her voice even and almost reassuring. 

Everyone in the circle exchanged fearful glances. Daja had taken out a cloth and dotted her forehead, taking away the excess sweat. Tris had seemed to recover from her headache, but was squinting at Dasnie suspiciously, unconvinced of her declaration. A broken sob sounded from Evvy, making Briar jump and look at Sandry. Her mind seemed to be elsewhere, her eyes distant. She was absently rubbing her stomach, unaware that it looked strange with, what looked like, a completely normal, flat stomach. 

Briar heard Dasnie gulp before saying, "We must be off now. I'm afraid that we are behind in our journey and must get to Sarai Island if we are to make it in time for the _fetaq_." She immediately walked towards the large wagon of goods that they were to take down to ferry. 

Fetaq. A Madabian word. Briar squinted in frustration, trying to remember what it meant. Something about food and celebration. Food sounded good. Briar suddenly realized how hungry he was when his stomach rolled. He hadn't really touched much of the supper last night, he was too busy sulking. They hadn't been served any breakfast either. 

"Um, Dasnie?" Briar asked, before Dasnie turned around and raised an eyebrow. "When are we gonna eat? I mean, ya know, breakfast?. . . Your Highness, ma'am." He managed the last bit in hastily, remembering the young woman's status. 

She blinked at him and then shook her head, "You will want to be on an empty stomach for the _fetaq_." She offered him a hand into the wagon, while Daja and Tris were already inside it. He looked at her hand before accepting it gingerly. 

"So, there's food involved?" Briar inquired, trying to sound innocent. Silently, he was praying that the fetaq wasn't some kind of rabid smell that made you puke, so that you definitely didn't want anything in your stomach. 

Suddenly she heard someone laugh behind him. Turning around sharply, he glared at whoever was behind him. To his surprise, it was Sandry. She glanced up at him with glittering eyes and a slight smile, a far cry from her usual melancholy mood. Suddenly, all the sudden anger left Briar like someone had punched him in the stomach. He smiled back at her, not realizing why he was, but quite aware that his grin was goofy. 

Sandry stepped into the wagon without any trouble, and then glanced up at him. "You need to brush up on your Madabian, plant boy. A fetaq without food, for sure, " she remarked playfully, giving him a sly grin. Briar was about to offer a retort to this, but she quickly interrupted, "Hold on there, your collar's all crooked." Standing on her tiptoes, she briskly took hold of Briar's shirt collar and readjusted them so that it was straight and neat. Then, brushing off small particles that Briar was sure Sandry could only see, she smiled up at him. 

And, to Briar's annoyance, he grinned back at her. Enthusiastically. Too enthusiastically. 

He needed to get a grip. It was just Sandry for gods' sake. 

A voice suddenly sounded outside, before the floor beneath them jolted foreword. Everyone, including Evvy and Pasco had entered the wagon. Apparently they were taking off. 

Briar sat himself down, before looking at all the faces in the dimly light wagon. All their faces were sunken and suspicious. Even Sandry, who seemed more perky today, seemed a bit cautious and sad at the same time. Whatever had happened back at the _Quetat Veyla_ was bothering all of them, despite the feeble rejections that it had been anything of importance. It all seemed all too suspicious to not be something-- anything. Madab was starting to become more peculiar by the minute. The terrible headaches, the intense heat, the sadness, the dreams, the pain, the draining. Rubbing a tired hand over his eyes, Briar tried to place it all together. Nothing came to his brain however. He would try to put it together with that others later. 

Evvy sat next to him, tear stains still apparent on her cheek. They had driven for a few minutes before she mumbled, quietly, "I've got a _very, very_ bad feeling about this." 

Briar's rolling stomach growled in agreement. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------- 

When they driven for what felt like forever, the wagon came to an abrupt stop. Briar was jolted forward, his brain suddenly snapping into reality. Blinking sleepily, he glanced around the wagon. Tris was still rubbing her pained head, Daja was writing in something, Evvy was talking quietly to Pasco, and Sandry was fast asleep. Her head had somehow rolled onto his shoulder, and she was breathing steadily. 

Smiling down at her, Briar poked a finger in her rib. "Hey, rise and shine, Your Highness. Your faithful stead has brought you to the land of milk and honey!" He watched as her eyes fluttered open, stared blankly ahead, before glancing up at him. 

"Are we there yet?" She asked groggily, before sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. 

Suddenly the curtain of the wagon flew open and Dasnie was in front of it, her body dark in contrast with the bright sunlight outside. Briar became aware that the temperature was getting much warmer as they got further north. Squinting out past Dasnie, Briar could see a wide range of vegetation, from lush grass, to a thick oak tree. 

"We have arrived to the ferry boat that will take us to Sarai Island," She quickly started to tie the folds of the curtain back, her face an emotionless palate. "I'm afraid we must hurry or we will not arrive in time for the meeting with the Queen." 

"Your mother," Tris added quickly, glaring at her. Her eyes were squinted painfully behind her glasses, obviously not happy with the sudden increase of sunlight. 

Dasnie glanced up at Tris, her eyes registering somewhat of a shock, before shaking her head. "Yes, my. . . mother, Her Royal Highness." 

Obviously this wasn't the point Tris was trying to make, because she threw her hands up before snorting. Pushing past Daja, she quickly exited the wagon, mumbling, "The quicker we get this whole situation, I'm heading on the quickest boat outta this place." 

Briar chuckled at her, before shaking his head in silent agreement. Madab was a strange place. Right now, his heart yearned to be out of the stupid journey, to be back at Discipline, warm in his bed. Even Rosethorn screaming at him to pull weeds seemed preferable to Madab. 

As soon as leaving the wagon, Briar immediately noticed how pleasantly warm it was outside. The sun peeked out from a large cloud, and a slight breeze blew throughout the area. To his right, there was a large mountain, rising in a steep cliff so that the rocks were visible. Trees grew in front of the mountain, until the vegetation slowly waned away upon the rocky cliff. 

Hearing water lap serenely off to his side, Briar turned around, only to reel back from slight shock. A vast body of water lay in front of him, that disappeared off into the horizon, till he could see no longer. 

"The Western Deep," he heard Sandry breathe next to him. Looking down at her, Sandry was taking in the scene with a look of astonishment, her mouth slightly agape. Her eyes were wide, looking more alive, but still somehow sad. 

Opening his mouth, Briar was going to comment on her expression, but was interrupted by Dasnie. "There is much more of the Western Deep to look at, but for now, we must set off towards Sarai Island." 

Looking around, Briar scanned the vast expanse of water. Everywhere he looked, there was simply more and more water. No ship. No ferry boat. Not even a piece of driftwood. "Um," Briar frowned in confusion, "that's all fine and dandy, but how are we supposed to get there?" 

No sooner had the words come out of his mouth, that Dasnie lifted a whistle to her mouth and blew. It produced a rather shrill sound, making both Briar and Evvy cover their ears. Then, like out of nowhere, a large ship appeared in the bay, with a full deck of men, busy on deck. Blinking, Briar slowly uncovered his ears and stared in disbelief at the sight in front of him. 

"Holy Harrier the Clawed. . ." came a voice behind Briar. He also heard someone gurgle their throat in agreement. Pasco and Evvy. 

Briar couldn't find any words better for the situation. Never, in his entire life, had he seen something appear just out of thin air. Literally out of thin air. There was no fog to hide the ship, it just simply appeared. Blinking, Briar stammered, "Uh, wha. . . How in the world?" He looked around at the Daja, and Tris, but all they had for an explanation was a simple disbelieving shake of the head. 

Dasnie was now occupied with shouting out Madabian orders at the men on deck. But, after a few seconds, she turned to Briar and said formally, "It is what we call in Madab a '_Fartet Neque_'." She stared at him blankly, as if something would have clicked in his brain. 

Shaking his head in mock recognition, Briar drawled sarcastically, "Right, a _Fartet Neque_. How could I be so stupid?" 

"I have no idea, Mr. Moss," Dasnie bit in, obviously not picking up the sarcasm in his voice. She quickly turned on her heel, shouted some orders at the ship before turning back to Briar, not letting him get in a decent word. "Now, if you will excuse me. We should be ready to set sail in a matter of minutes." Then, spinning towards the men, she started to bark orders once again. 

Briar stared blankly at her for a few seconds before hearing someone chuckle beneath him. Staring down, he saw Sandry's face lit up in a small grin, and she was giggling to herself. Nearly forcing himself not to smile, Briar chewed the inside of his cheek. "What's so funny now?" 

Glancing up at him, Sandry shook her head. "How long did you study your Madabian?" She asked, her voice obviously trying to sound innocent. But it failed. Miserably. 

He crossed his arms across his chest. "Long enough." 

"Oh really? Then you would know that _Fartet Neque _means 'Disappearing Nymph' in Madabian?" She blinked at him, and for a second Briar saw a slight glint of teasing residing there. "And that the sound of the whistle makes it appear, because of the magic intricately carved into the wood responds to the sound. The Madabians are famous for their woodwork. But I'm sure you studied all this before we came. Right?"   
  
Clearing his throat, Briar shrugged, trying to put on a convincing face. "Of course. . . I was just being a little flirtatious with good ol' Dasnie here." 

"Right!" Sandry exclaimed before she burst out into laughter. "I can just see it now. . . 'The Mysterious Madabian Princess and the Once Street Kid, Together at Last!'" With that, she gave him a light punch in the arm before making her way to the shoreline, where a small boat waited to take them to the larger ship. Tris and Daja were already in it, waiting for them. 

Briar watched her leave, contemplating her last words. He watched while she made her way in the boat, her elegant dress trailing behind her. How much would that dress cost? More money that Briar had had in his entire life. Sighing, Briar shook his head. She was right, it would never work. Not like he liked Dasnie anyway. Sure, she wasn't bad looking, but there wasn't anything there. 

But was it about _Dasnie_? 

Shaking his head ferociously, he headed towards the small boat, nearly stomping his way there. Jadof was already seated on one side of it, with the other men and sailors. He smiled up at Briar when he boarded the ship, and Briar tried to do his best in giving a light grin. It probably looked more like he was grimacing. 

Evvy and Pasco were the next one's in the boat, Pasco giving Evvy his hand. She took it gingerly, ignoring Briar's glare. Once seated in the boat, Briar made it his duty to watch Pasco's hands the entire ride up to the ship. Sandry nudged him in the side, and when Briar looked up, she shook her head towards Evvy and Pasco. Briar just frowned deeper before continuing his glare. 

While they were almost to the ship, Briar took a few seconds to tear his eyes away from them. When he did so, he caught a brief glimpse of what looked like something carved out of the stony cliff. He blinked in confusion, thinking something was wrong with his eyes. It looked something like a prison. Briar could have sworn that he had seen windows carved out of the stone and metal bars in-between the windows. Also, he thought he had seen men, clinging to the bars, looking down at him enviously. 

Rubbing his eyes, Briar squinted. "Wha. . . What was that?" He pointed to the rocky cliff. 

Jadof, who was busy talking to Dasnie, looked up at Briar and then towards the cliff. Instantly, he frowned. Shaking his head, he spoke slowly, "Do you remember the men who attacked you earlier on in the forest?" 

"No, must have slipped my mind. . .enlighten us," Tris interjected, her face in a solemn frown, pushing as much sarcasm in her voice as possible. 

Dasnie looked at Tris in confusion, opened her mouth to explain, but Jadof interrupted her, "They came from that place there. We call in a '_Gernova Ta Freylo._' Meaning. . ." 

"A Capture of Innocent Men," Sandry finished, her voice quiet. She stared silently into her lap, her eyebrows furrowed. Looking up at Jadof, she blinked at him. "I thought those were outlawed in the Treatise of Elisad." 

Jadof suddenly laughed, sounding bitter and almost malicious. "Oh, it was. It was, Your Highness. . ." 

"Sandry. It's _just_ Sandry, please." 

"It was, Sandry. You see, if the Royals needed to send away someone because they knew too much, they can always accuse them of something trivial. Tax Fraud, Illegal Plowing, whatever they wished. As long as it sent them away. And as long as it _looks_ legal." Jadof shook his head, letting his white-blond hair fall in front of his dark eyes. 

Briar looked from Sandry, who was staring intently at Jadof, to Dasnie, who was looking about as stoic as ever. The only emotion that was somewhat evident on her face was a gleam in her eye. Cocking his head in confusion, Briar asked, quite abruptly, "What the hell are you talking about?" He felt Evvy glare at him, but he ignored her. 

Jadof and Dasnie didn't speak. They simply exchanged anxious glances, before shaking their heads and becoming completely silent. Briar glanced down at Sandry, who was looking somewhat livid. As if feeling his stare, she looked up, before speaking. "A _Gernova Ta Freylo_ is a prison that innocent men are put in because they pose a threat to the royalty. They know something -anything. Perhaps they know the king has a mistress. Something to create a royal scandal. Long ago, they used to send them to these prisons. Keep them away from the ears of the people. The prison are hidden by magic, except by a single angle. Right now, it looks a stone wall, but from one angle, you can see the prison." She shook her head, before pursing her lips in fury. 

"They are harmless men," Jadof added, equally as maddened as Sandry. He didn't seem to like the prison either. "My father seemed to think it a good idea to send them after you. If you won the battle, you were the company who we were expecting. If you weren't. . . they would have killed you." He shook his head again. "They were offered their freedom in exchange, but I doubt my father gave it to them." He glanced at them, his soft eyes becoming dark and sharp. He them turned around, glancing blankly behind. 

It took a few seconds for the information to settle into Briar's head. When it did, a wave of fury shook his body. Grinding his teeth, he clenched his hands in a tight fist. "You're keeping innocent men in there?!" He looked at Jadof and Dasnie, but only Dasnie returned his stare, calm and measured. "That's just goddamn wrong. . . and believe me, I'm not big on morals." 

"It certainly is wrong, Briar," Sandry added, her voice even toned, but underlined with anger. "It's just another _fine_ example why monarchy doesn't work." With that, she huffed stormily before growing quiet, her face flushed. 

Dasnie simply stared at the both of them. Shaking her head, she said quietly, as if no one could hear her, "I will never understand these people." With that, she quickly tied the little boat to the larger ship. 

A ladder was thrown down to them to climb aboard. Tris and Daja went first, followed by Evvy and Pasco. Sandry, arms still crossed, went last, still looking as enraged as before. Taking one last look at the cliff, Briar shook his head before climbing up behind her. 

If he didn't have a bad feeling about Madab before, he did now. 

________________________________________________ 

_This is late. Very late. What can I say? Well, I can say two words: Writer's Block. Yes, the dreaded curse. Plus, FF.net wasn't working for nearly a thousand weeks, so it gave me a flimsy excuse to not write. But, now the chapter is finished. And it's long. 13 pages I think, or according to my computer it is. So, muah._

_Also, I will be leaving for Soccer Camp tomorrow at 5 a.m. I will be gone for a week. After that, I'm off to the beach. After, that, SCHOOL! AHHH! Has this summer gone by so quickly? Where did it go? So, don't kill me if the next chapter doesn't appear for awhile. I am continuely working on this, even if it doesn't seem like it. Sometimes, I can just sit down and only write two paragraphs. Sometimes, a few pages. It all depends. So, don't hate me? PWEASE? Oh, and review if you please. It would be most appreciated. Thanks everyone!_   
  



	9. Empty Space

_Disclaimer: High five to Tammy! WOOHOO! She owns it all, and, quite frankly, there wouldn't be this fanfiction unless she devised this little gig. So, Tammy, if you're reading this, this is for fun, and dedicated in admiration of your great CoM series. I am broke (if I wasn't, I would have insurance for a car I don't have), so I am OBVIOUSLY not making money off this._   
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_Truth, be more precious to me than eyes_   
_Of happy love; burn hotter in my throat_   
_Than passion, and possess me like my pride;_   
_More sweet than freedom, more desired than_   
_ joy,_   
_More sacred than the pleasing of a friend._   
_ --Max Eastman_

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When Evvy entered the large boat, she was quite sure that she had ever seen something so large that floated on water. Blinking rapidly, she looked wildly around her, making sure not to bump into any of the hundreds of men on deck. They were shouting at each other, at themselves, at the weather, at the ship, all in the complicated language of Madabian. All Evvy could do was look blankly around her surroundings and watch her footing. 

Her Pahan, Sandry, Tris, and Daja had been whisked away once again by Jadof and Dasnie, giving no explanations to their students. It was really starting to irk Evvy to no end. Fuming as she watched her Pahan leave, she called after him, "What do you think _I'm_ supposed to do while you sit around and discuss nonsense? Hm?" Crossing her arms across her chest, she watched as he looked back at her. 

"Try not to get yourself killed," was his sarcastic retort, before he rolled his eyes and immersed himself in the crowd of men once again. Evvy watched him, throwing icy stares at his back. When he was no longer within view, she huffed before turning around, stalking away. 

" 'Try not to get yourself killed' _indeed_," she murmured mockingly to herself, doing her best not to get tangled in the mess of men. "He's the one who'll get me killed. Just watch. . ." With that, she started to walk towards the bow of the ship, not really looking where she was going. She brushed shoulders with a few men, but they ignored her, and Evvy did the same. No apologies were offered on either side, and neither side didn't really wanted one. 

When reaching the railing of the ship, she leaned on her tiptoes and glanced over the edge. Water crashed against the side, sending salt into her eyes. Blinking, Evvy scowled. She never really liked water; it could wear down rock, make it into barely anything but a grain of sand. And rock was _never_ fully pleased with being just sand. 

Suddenly, a voice sounded from behind her. "Pretty isn't it?. . . The Western Deep, I mean." 

Evvy quickly spun around, her eyes snapping into alertness. Glancing at the person in front of her, her muscles relaxed immensely. Swallowing, she managed a slight smile, despite her foul mood. "Hey, Pasco," she greeted mildly, hoping her voice sounded more friendly than how she felt. 

Pasco smiled back at her, his black hair falling messily into his eyes. His stuck his hands casually in his pockets, before walking up to her and placing his elbows on the railing. He looked out into the horizon for few brief seconds, his eyes glittering in the sun. Then, as if speaking to himself, he mumbled, "It's times like this that I really miss Emelan. I, I miss. . . home." 

Looking up in slight surprise, Evvy contemplated his light tone. She had never really thought about missing home. Maybe it was because she never really missed home, or wanted to. The only home she knew, before Pahan Briar had found her, was a dingy cave, with a hoard of cats. There was no family, no support, only her cats to talk too. But, Pasco. . . Pasco had a family, a home, people who loved him. Her own mother sold her, she hadn't loved her, probably hadn't even cared. She had been just another mouth to feed, another burden to carry. Evvy glanced down at her now folded hands, feeling hot tears burn in her eyes. She blinked furiously, trying not to let them escape her eyes. 

Boys did not need to see you cry. It only made you look silly. 

Suddenly, a light hand landed hesitantly on her shoulder. Evvy didn't look up, she didn't want Pasco to see the tears in her eyes. However, she was quite sure that he had already caught a glimpse. Sniffling loudly, she shook her head, trying to shrug his hand off. 

Pasco didn't let that happen. He clamped a bit harder, in a comforting sort of way, before chuckling lightly. "Hey there. We gotta have tough love, eh?" 

Hearing him, Evvy shot her head up in, hoping that her eyes weren't red and puffy. Blinking at him in surprise, she contemplated his words, before pulling a strand of hair out of her face. Nodding her head slowly, she said, "Yeah. . . tough love." 

It perhaps dawned on Pasco what he had just said, because the grip on her shoulder slackened. He looked at her, a slight expression of shock across his face before he laughed nervously. "That's what Sandry says to me alot, I mean," he paused before straightening his back, " 'Pasco, I'm only doing this for your own benefit. Tough love; that's what it's called. So, don't be lazy. Come on, straighten up now.' " During this whole time, he scrunched his eyebrows up, trying to look mad and professional. Instead, both Evvy and Pasco exchanged looks before bursting into laughter. 

Still chuckling, Evvy smiled up at the laughing Pasco. His mouth was in a wide grin, and his eyes were sparkling beneath his wave of black hair. He reminded Evvy of what her Pahan might have been like when he was younger, laid back and handsome, when this whole mission wasn't weighing on his back. There was always a look of contemplation on his face now, although every once in awhile, Evvy saw him smile and lighten up with Sandry. And, ever since entering Madab, he seemed so tired. . . 

Once their laughter had subsided to a few chuckles, they stared at each other, smiles gracing across their faces. Biting her lip, Evvy looked out towards the sea, watching as the water crashed against the sides of the boat. Where were they going again? Sarai Island, was it? Shaking her head, Evvy thought hard. She didn't know anything about this mission, what it was about, what they she was even doing here. 

"Sandry hasn't told me anything, either." 

Evvy looked up at Pasco before raising an eyebrow. He licked his lips and then shrugged. "So, why _are_ we here, again?" Evvy asked, squarely her shoulders unintentionally, as if she was asking her Pahan a question, only to wait for some kind of stiff reply. 

Only, Pasco laughed. "Who knows," he answered, before sticking his hands into his pockets. "I think I was taken here, more or less for the fact that Sandry was afraid I'd terrorize her Uncle in Emelan if she didn't take me along." Glancing down at her, he gave her a lop-sided grin. "Whatever the reason, we'll stick together, huh Ev'?" 

Evvy smiled crookedly back at him, before shaking her head. "Sure thing. . . Pasco." Her smile became broader before she reached over, taking hold of his hand. Blinking away the salty air, she squeezed his hand. "Friends 'till the end?" 

Giving her hand a squeeze back, Pasco smiled down at her, his eyes glittering. 

And Evvy didn't need another answer to her question. 

----------------------------------------------------------------- 

Briar didn't know that he could ever get lost in a ship. He now was sure that it was quite possible. 

Down below the huge ship, was a huge maze of corridors and doors. Every time they rounded a corner, there was another line of doors and hallways that awaited them. Most of the rooms, from he saw, were storage centers, although an occasional one held a few bunker beds and closets. Some were even empty. But, one thing was for sure, there were more ways to get lost in this one ship than in all of Emelan. 

After what felt like forever, Dasnie and Jadof rounded then into a small corridor, that ended in a dead end. Tris and Daja were ahead of him, and Sandry was by his side, taking in all of the twists and turns with fascination. Briar chuckled at her. Someday, her curiosity was going to get the better of her, and he hoped that he would be there to witness it. 

Sandry noticed his stare and looked up at him. Biting her lip, she whispered, "Do you think Pasco will be okay?" 

Briar smiled crookedly. "He'll be fine. . . just as long as he keeps his hormonal hands off my student." 

Sandry simply snorted, rolling her eyes. Briar chuckled. 

At the end of the corridor, there was a large mirror, but no doors were visible. As they walked to the end of it, Briar looked around in confusion. He wondered what kind of Madabian mystery this was. Biting his lip, he glanced up at Dasnie and Jadof. They didn't even look faded about this. Sighing, Briar shrugged. 

They came to the mirror, standing in silence. Daja looked back at Briar, confusion evident in her face. Briar simply raised his eyebrows, agreeing with the confusion. Swallowing, Daja turned around, facing the mirror. 

Then, suddenly, Dasnie drew her sword from her hilt. She quickly raised it above her head and struck the mirror. Surprised, Briar heard Sandry gasp in surprise, and he braced himself for the sudden shattering of glass. However, nothing fragmented, and no glass flew anywhere. Instead, the glass ripped down the center before becoming fuzzy and swirling. The entire back wall started to become translucent, swirling a misty white. And then, after a few confusing seconds, it vanished, displaying another corridor, this one with only one door. 

Briar stared open mouth for a few seconds while Dasnie put her sword back. Looking over her shoulder, she called to them, "Come. . . you are to see the Caption of the ship." With that, she walked briskly towards the door at the end of the corridor. 

Blinking in a haze, Briar snapped out of his astonishment. Shaking his head in disbelief, he murmured, "Disappearing ships, disappearing prisons, disappearing mirrors. What's next? Disappearing Food?" His stomach rolled with the mention of food, and he frowned down at it. 

When they reached the door, Dasnie took hold of the handle and opened it. The scene behind the doorway displayed a large room with rich furnishings. A small fireplace was off to the right, crackling softly. A desk stood in the middle of it, while a woman sat behind it, staring at them measurably. 

She blinked softly, before greeting, "Princess Dasniel, Jadof ta Untea, Guests of the Honored Queen. . . please, come in." Her voice was soft but clear. As they came closer into the room, gingerly at first, she stood. 

Briar looked around the room in curiosity, scanning the bookshelves that laid cluttered on the shelves. Books upon books, many written by the ancients, lay messily, while flasks of wine and liquor sat on top of them. The whole room was dimly lighten, making it hard to read some of the titles, but Briar could make out some of them. Squinting, he saw a collection of them by the same author, all looking brand new compared to the others. 

They read: _Donovan la Feram_

The name struck him. He had heard it before, perhaps? Chewing the inside of his cheek in concentration, Briar tried to dwell on the name, but got very little of a chance. The woman quickly interrupted. 

"Please, sit down. We have important information to discuss." She motioned them all to plush looking chairs that surrounded her desk. Briar glanced at her, before hesitantly sitting down. Glancing up at Sandry, he watched as she eyed the chair cautiously. Then, biting her lip, she glided into it, her eyebrows still knitted in some kind of silent concentration. She smoothed her dress out before glancing back at Briar. Offering a weak smile, Briar found himself grinning back before mentally kicking himself. 

Why did he always smile back? And another thing. . . why did she always have to catch him while he did so. Sitting lower in his chair, Briar hoped that Sandry couldn't see a slight blush that had entered his face. 

The woman glanced at everyone through one eye; the other was covered with a large, dark patch. Her hair was curt to her earlobes, and it gleamed a sandy blonde in the firelight. A slight smile graced her face, but the air around her was serious and professional. Clearing her throat, she glanced from one person to another. "I am quite sure that Duke Eraged explained in general terms why you are on Madab. Therefore, I will not make this long." Folding her hands, she placed them on the table and leaned closer to them. "The honored queen wishes you to know that she will hold a meeting once you arrive at the _ Eliaso qu Vernon_. She will go into detail, but you are to know that she wishes to know _anything_ that you have observed about Madab. Anything that has happened to you, anything that seems. . . abnormal." 

Briar raised an eyebrow at this. Abnormal? Everything about Madab was abnormal. 

The woman continued, "Also, if you have any questions, you have only but to ask. I will answer whatever I can. Just ask for Lanell te Feram." 

Suddenly, Tris let out a loud gasp, and when Briar turned to her in surprise, her hand covered her mouth. Her eyes were wide underneath her glasses, and her eyebrows were raised. "Wha. . . What did you say your name was?" She stuttered, sounding oddly uncharacteristic. 

The woman stared at her strangely, before saying, slower this time, "Lanell te Feram." 

Tris eyebrows raised higher, but she removed her hand. Staring intently at Lanell, she blinked. "Do you happen to know, by any chance, someone by the name of. . ." 

Suddenly the door was flung open, and Briar jumped up from his chair, his hand close to Sandry, ready to make a run for it. Glancing wildly at the door, Briar observed a young man, about his own age, standing there with a large grin on his face. His sandy blonde hair was the same as the Caption's, but his eyes were a dark green, glittering with excitement. When he saw that there was other people in the room, he blinked. 

"Sorry 'bout that, everyone," He apologized, his voice animated. "Got to get use to those magic doors, kinda weird if ya know what I mean." He laughed lightly, looked around the room, glancing at everyone, who stared at him blankly. Then, suddenly, when he reached Tris, he blinked in surprise. His smile somewhat decreased before exclaiming, "Tris?!" 

Briar reeled back his head in shock before glancing over at Tris. Her mouth was open from shock, and it looked like she was trying to form some coherent sentence. Scrunching his eyebrows together, Briar exchanged a glance with Sandry, who looked equally confused. 

After a few moments of stunned silence, Caption Lanell spoke, "Everyone, this is my cousin Donovan la Feram, Co-Caption of this ship." 

Tris had no answer, but simply stood stock still, her jaw opened wide. Briar stared intently at the young man and then at Tris, trying to understand the connection between Tris' astonishment and the person standing in front of him. He was still holding onto Sandry's wrist protectively and he almost let go, but then didn't. Sandry didn't give any signals for him to move away. Briar glanced at her; her lips pursed in concentration, her eyes glittering suspiciously. Shaking his head, he smiled crookedly. Even in these moments she spelled royalty in every twinge of her brow. 

Averting his eyes back to the young man, Briar looked him over. Although he was about two inches shorter than Briar, he was still quite tall for a man his age. He had a dark green shirt on, which looked like it was finely stitched, although Briar couldn't really tell. He always allowed Sandry have fun with the sewing part of life. 

Scrunching his eyebrows quizzically, Briar ran the name though his brain. Donovan la Feram. . . la Feram. . . Donovan. Running his tongue over his teeth, Briar concentrated. He had heard the name recently, very recently. _Donovan. . ._

Something clicked in his brain instantly, but he was beaten by Sandry. 

"Donovan la Feram!" She exclaimed, a light appearing on her face. Blinking, Sandry gave him a once-over before displaying an approving glance over to Tris, who didn't even look at Sandry, but kept her eyes fixated on the young man in front of her, mouth still agape. Smiling coyly, Sandry gave a slight bow of her head, before letting go of Briar's hand. She extended her hand and said in a knavish sort of way, "We've heard bits and pieces of you. . . good things of course." 

Donovan seemed to blink out of his daze, looking startled, before furnishing a sheepish half smile. He chuckled shyly and rubbed the back of his neck before taking Sandry's hand and kissing it lightly. Eying Tris from the corner of his vision, Donovan kept smiling, but in a skeptical kind of way. "I'm almost afraid to ask what kind of 'bits and pieces' you've heard," He replied to Sandry, before chuckling lightly, "Me and Tris have had quite a few adventures together, some of which got a little, um. . . muddy." It was here that he raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin still on his face. 

Tris suddenly shut her mouth, her eyes becoming stormy once again. She pursed her lips before crossing her arms across her chest. Giving Donovan nothing more than a waspish glare, Tris' voice was loud and annoyed, "Do not _even_ go into _that_ again Donovan la Feram! You know very well that I had nothing to do with that thunderstorm on Mt. Fateron, and even if I did. . ." 

She was interrupted by Donovan suddenly bursting out into laughter. Shaking his head, a few pieces of sandy blond hair fell in front of his eyes. Walking up to Tris, who was eying him skeptically, he put his hands on her shoulders before kissing her lightly on the forehead. 

Hitting him in the chest, Tris objected. "Good grief, not now, Donovan. . . there's people here." She nodded over to where Briar, Sandry, and Daja was standing; Sandry with a mysterious smile across her lips, Daja with raised eyebrows, and Briar with a confused and cynical expression glittering in his eyes. 

Donovan's smile became broader. "It's good to see you again, Tris." He made an attempt to kiss her again, but instead, he got another bruising hit from Tris. Chuckling, Donovan let go of her before folding his arms across his chest. "Now. . . let's get down to business. What exactly are you doing here?" 

"I could ask you the same thing," Briar suddenly interjected quite abruptly and coldly, a bit surprised at his tone of voice. He had stood in astonished silence for awhile, feeling awkward and quite out of place, but at the same time, feeling suddenly protective of Tris, as if he was an older brother. It wasn't that he didn't exactly like this Donovan, whoever exactly he was. It was just that it was foreign and strange to him, seeing one of the circle in a relationship that did involve Daja, Sandry, or himself. Yes, Sandry had married, he was still trying to keep this concrete in his mind, but it would not stay. However, not only did he not know about this, he never even saw Sandry once during her brief marriage. The simple thought of seeing Sandry kiss Count whatever blah, blah, blah, made Briar want to gag. 

So, was he jealous? Briar shook his head. Perhaps the greater question was why he kept asking himself that same question over and over again. 

Donovan looked up at Briar in surprise, before offering him a small smile. "You must be Briar Moss. I've heard 'bits and pieces' about you also. . ." He said before strolling over to one of the many bookshelves. Bending over to examine the contents of one of the liquor bottles, he picked up a thick glass container before walking back to Briar. Inside, there was a dark red liquid sloshing around. "Want some Janeel Sherry? Straight from Ceteh. . . the best in the world." He offered Briar another good-natured smile. 

Briar examined Donovan's face carefully, looking for any devious plans residing there. He felt someone elbow him in the arm and, looking down, he saw Sandry frowning disapprovingly at him. Rolling his eyes, Briar turned back to Donovan. "Sure," he replied before flopping himself into an arm chair, "fill her to the top." 

"Thatta man," Donovan replied, grabbing a small glass off Caption Lanell desk. He tipped an imaginary hat to Lanell, who in turn simply shook her head. He filled the small glass up before giving it Briar, who took it before polishing it off with ease. 

Briar felt the drink as it burned down his throat, and was surprised how it suddenly made him feel warm all over his entire body. He also didn't notice the swaying of the huge boat quite as much either. 

Glancing up, Briar saw Donovan raise a pleasantly surprised smile. "Nice work. Can't say I haven't done better myself." With that, he took a larger glass off the desk, poured himself a cup and drowned it quickly. 

Briar smiled crookedly. He could recognize a challenge from a mile away 

"You guys are perfect wimps," someone bit in tartly from the other side of the room. Walking up to the table, Tris grabbed two large cups before filling both to the rim. Smiling daringly, she drowned them both. At the same time. 

Donovan emitted a low whistle at this, and Briar shook his head approvingly. 

"Oh, _come on_!" Someone else interjected. Craning his head around, Briar stared at Daja, who was leaning against a bookshelf. Lifting herself up, she walked over to the desk, grabbed the bottle of sherry, put the bottle to her lips before swallowed it straight from the bottle. She drowned about three cupfuls before she stopped, wiped her lips, and lifted an eyebrow. 

The whole group looked at each other before they dashed off to grab their own bottle of tonic. 

Briar grabbed the first bottle he saw, a rather large bottle with a thick yellow liquid inside. Grabbing it, he unscrewed the top of the glass stopper before taking a large swig, forgetting the frivolity of drinking from a glass. Instantly, he regretted it. The liquid tasted something like turpentine and peppermint mixed together. It burned when it went down, but this time not because it was hot, but because it was intensely cold. 

Briar averted his eyes to Tris. She was guzzling a large bottle of brown liquid. Catching his eye, Tris lifted a challenging eyebrow, her eyes glittering in silent competition. Briar gulped. Eyeing his bottle, he took another large swig. He would not be shown up by Tris. 

Nobody was going to beat him at his element. 

When he took another large gulp of this liquid, he looked around the room curiously. Everything looked so comfortable and fuzzy, the lights blurry, as if he was looking inside of a water stained window. There was Dasnie, who eyed all of them blankly, and Jadof, who looked as if he might join in any second, if he knew what was going on. And Sandry was on the other side of the room, an amused look on her face, arms crossed, but laughing. 

Briar smiled crookedly. She was so pretty when she laughed. So pretty, so pretty, so pretty. . . 

"Hey guys!" Donovan suddenly said, his voice slurred but still coherent. "Two men walk into a bar," blinking, he held a flask of liquor in one hand, while he stumbled to find his footing, "And one guy says to the other, 'I'm gonna be a puppeteer,' and the other guy says, 'How are you gonna do that?' and the other one replies, 'Oh, I'm gonna pull some strings'! Get it? Pull Strings?" 

It wasn't a very funny joke, and in the back of Briar's head he knew that he shouldn't laugh at it. But, right then, it seemed funny, and he laughed. Briar laughed so hard, he never thought he was going to stop, and soon, after taking another swig from the bottle, the yellow liquid seemed to fade into the fuzzy candle lighting, and Sandry laughing seemed to sing to him, so that the last thing that Briar knew was the glittering darkness of sleep. 

----------------------------------   
  
Briar didn't know what was worst: The lighting that suddenly pervaded his foggy vision or the feeling that his intestines were going to make a slow, painful exit through his esophagus. 

Groaning, Briar turned over on his side, a gurgling in his stomach objecting to his action. This way he was farther away from the light, but in a more uncomfortable position for his stomach. Feeling like he was stuck between a rock and a hard place, Briar was about to try another position, but then he felt the most wonderful thing he had ever felt. Ever. 

A cool hand was placed on his forehead, dry and comforting at the same time. He felt someone sit on the edge of the bed, making rustling noises of material. A body was pressed against his abdomen, and it was a welcoming presence. But the hand was the best thing so far, for his head felt like someone had taken an ax to it and chopped it into millions of tiny splinters. 

Making a gurgling noise deep in his throat, Briar managed to pop one eye open. His vision was blurred at first, and his eye burned like hell, but after a moment's pain, he was able to focus. He was in, what looked like, a cabin of the ship. He was laying on a bed that was against a back wall, and a small table and lamp was sitting next to his bed. The lamp had been lit and there was a continuous string of fire coming from it. Also, sitting next to the lamp was a small, glass bowl, which had piece of material floating in it. 

The cool hand suddenly left his forehead and then reached over to the bowl. Briar tried to object, but found his mouth was as dry as cotton, and all that came out was a pathetic growl. 

The person sitting on the bed chuckled lightly. "You're up. . . and here I thought I had lost you to the bottle." 

Sandry. 

Briar shook his head. It figures. Females always find you when you're at your worst. 

Trying to act grumpy, Briar popped his other eye open, felt it steam, before looking at Sandry. Even though she seemed a bit blurry, she was most definitely Sandry; tight arrays of braids, a few strands that had fallen out and were a nuisance in her eyes, her smug smile and her glittering blue eyes. Briar found himself smiling, even though he felt as if all the gross mixture of turpentine and peppermint had suddenly decided to make a speedy exit. 

Sandry reached over, dipped the material in the water, wrung it out, before looking down at Briar, her eyes smiling. Briar found himself smiling broader before mentally cursing at himself. If he didn't look stupid already, suspended in a bed, while Sandry was taking care of her. It should be the other way around. He was being stupid. . . 

However, when she smiled down at him, the pain in his head seemed to fade, and all he could was smile more expansively. 

Briar shook his head. He was a damn fool. 

"You're a damn fool, you know that Briar?" Sandry asked, her voice teasing, before she added, "Damn fool, drinking on an empty stomach. At least Tris and Daja had something in their stomachs; they ate something last night." Putting the washcloth in her hand, she placed it on Briar's forehead. Instantly, a cooling sensation went throughout his entire body, easing the terrible headache and the churning in his stomach. Sighing, Briar looked up at Sandry. She was smiling smugly at him. 

"Do you like my new washcloth?" She asked, eying the piece of material proudly. "Lark and I stitched it together. . . it supposed to have the healing properties to heal any headache or stomach problem." Standing up, Sandry brushed the wrinkles off her dress before smiling broadly. 

Briar smiled crookedly at her before pushing himself higher in the bed, so that he was in a sitting position. Leaning against the backboard of the bed, he held the cloth to his head with one head before shrugging his shoulders. "Pretty nice, pretty nice," he drawled, before looking at Sandry and winking, "Not as good as your hand though." 

Sandry's shoulders slumped visibly, her eyes rolled, and she put her hands on her hips. Giving him a mock-glare, she scolded him, "You're incorrigible, Briar Moss!" 

"Handsome, too," Briar added, watching as her eyes widened before she threw her hands up in the air. 

Frowning at him, she shook her head. "You'd better be careful what you say in front of the queen. If she's anything like Dasniel, you're going to have to go easy on the humor." 

Briar snorted. "Me? I'm thinking Jadof is going to have more trouble with that than me." 

Smiling, Sandry nodded in agreement. "Him and Donovan. You should have heard some of the jokes he told in his sleep when he had fallen dead drunk." 

Briar's smile faded a bit with the mention of Donovan. Although he liked the guy enough now-- he could really drown those drinks --but now he was more uneasy with the thought of Donovan and Tris. If it had just been Donovan, Briar would think that he would have a new best friend, but the fact that Tris was attached to him, or Donovan was attached to Tris, was strange and awkward. Furrowing his eyebrows, he looked at Sandry. He could see she was thinking the same thing. Her eyes looked pensive in thought, and at the same time, oddly sad again. She blinked slowly, almost melancholy, before she looked at Briar. 

"Strange, ain't it? Tris in love?" He asked quietly, strangely paranoid that someone was listening outside the door. 

"Mmm," was all Sandry answered before they relapsed into silent thought. 

Briar brushed his eyes around his surroundings, seeing that the room was empty except for his bed and night stand. He saw no sign of luggage, and no sign of any decoration. Instead, blank wooden walls stared back at him, devoid of anything at all. Looking back at Sandry, Briar studied her silently. Her eyes were staring blankly ahead, her lips in a frown, as if she was playing out a scene from the past in her mind. She was rubbing a hand through her seemingly flat stomach, unaware that it looked strange to the illusioned onlooker. And her face, so sad and her face a bit gray. 

Suddenly, Sandry let out a little yelp, her eyes popping open in surprise. 

Jumping out of bed, Briar raced to her side. The washcloth fell off his forehead in the process, and immediately the nausea and headache returned. He ignored it, more concerned for Sandry than for the sudden rush of pain. Eying her in concern, Briar put an arm on her shoulder. "Sandry, what's wrong?" 

"Your washcloth fell off." 

"I'll live, but are you okay?" Briar said hastily, studying Sandry's face. 

Sandry smiled warmly before looking up at Briar. Then, slowly, she giggled. "I'm fine, I'm fine Briar," She rubbed her stomach again, "The baby's just having its play time all of a sudden." 

Briar raised an eyebrow. He was the least likely person to know things about pregnancy. Looking blankly at Sandry's stomach, Briar regarded her curiously. "What?" 

Glancing up at him, Sandy laughed. "The baby's kicking, Briar," She stated point blankly, before taking his hand and putting it against her stomach, which didn't in the least feel seven months pregnant. "Here, you feel." 

Briar almost withdrew when Sandry put his hand to her stomach, but then didn't. Immediately, when his hand touched her stomach something warm floated from his fingertips to his inner being. It reminded him of when he took the drink of Janeel Sherry and it burned on the way down, but this time it burned in a pleasant sort of way, but it a dramatic sort of way too, as if the wind had been knocked out of his lungs. He could feel the baby underneath the spelled clothes, nudging against Briar's hand. 

And then it was when Briar heard it. For the first time. It was indistinct at first, as if someone had barely whispered it into his ear, but then it was much more distinct. 

It was simply: _Briar. . ._

He pulled back from Sandry's stomach in a matter of seconds, eyes open and wide. Glancing quickly at Sandry, he tried to find the words within himself, but he quickly shut his mouth. The voice that he had heard was not Sandry's. It was not Tris', it was not Daja's. It was not anyone who could speak to him. It was something like a phantom, but it was like a phantom had donned flesh and spoken to him instead. 

Could it be. . . ? Briar glanced at Sandry's stomach before shaking his head. 

When Sandry saw him face, her smile vanished, turning quickly into a frown. Eying him, she asked hastily, "Briar, what happened? Are you okay?" 

Briar opened his mouth to speak again, but nothing came out. He glanced at her stomach once again before feeling a shiver run through his spine. 

"Briar, for gods sake, what's wrong?!" 

Suddenly, before he could answer, the door of the room swung open. Both Briar and Sandry jumped before looking at the door, startled. 

Standing in the doorway, Dasnie looked at the two of them, her face completely void of anything distinguishable but surprise. Blinking at them, she looked around the room. Regarding them strangely, Dasnie pursed her lips. "Is there something wrong? You look threatened." 

Straightening her back, Sandry tried to smile pleasantly at Dasnie before saying kindly. "Nothing is wrong, Princess Dasniel, we're quite all right." Briar saw Sandry give him a sideways glance, but he choose to ignore it. 

"Everything's just peachy," Briar added, biting in some of it, trying to expose the underlying irony in his statement. 

Yes, Sandry was pregnant, some strange thing was calling to him, Tris was in love, and he had a massive hangover. Just lovely. 

Dasnie eyed Briar before blinking. "I must say that I am not familiar with some of your Southern words, but I suppose I will have to learn to adjust." She came a step father in the room before announcing, "I have come to tell you that we shall be approaching the harbor for Sarai Island in a matter of minutes. You should probably get arranged for the meeting with the queen." With that, she bowed before exiting the room, her wild white hair following her. 

Briar stood in awkward silence with Sandry for a few seconds, before he shrugged. "I guess we better go, huh?" 

Sandry looked up at him, looked up into his eyes, sadness still there, seeming even more sad than ever before. She put an hand on his arm, before offering a smile that seemed mixed with a thousand emotions in one. 

Briar felt his stomach do a double-flip. And this time, it wasn't the turpentine and peppermint. 

They stood like that for what felt like forever, before Briar realized what he was doing. 

What exactly _was_ he doing anyway? What was he thinking? Briar shook his head sternly, feeling very gruff with himself all of a sudden. What he was thinking in his mind, he shouldn't think. He shouldn't think things like how nice the candlelight glowed on Sandry's face, and how pleasant it felt like to be around her, and how the baby seemed to. . . 

Briar shook his head more ferociously. The sea was taking a toll on his sanity. He needed fresh air. Pursing his lips, he turned to Sandry before saying stiffly, "Go out on deck; I'll meet you out there in a few moments." 

Sandry stared at him almost coldly all of a sudden, as if stricken by his tone of voice. Holding up her head, she offered him a coy smile before nodding. Then, almost silently, she exited the room before merely saying, "I'll see you out there Briar." She closed the door. 

Watching the door shut, Briar cursed out loud at himself. Chewing the inside of his cheek, he mumbled incoherently, "Stupid. . . stupid. . . what. . .thinking. . .crazy!" Marching over to the night stand, Briar continued his mumbling before picking up the dish of water and dumping it on top of the candle. He watched as it extinguished before stomping over to his door in the dark, opened it forcefully, before looking back at his dark room. He could almost hear the voice again in his ear, mysterious, ethereal, but human. 

Slumping his shoulders, Briar sighed before remarking, "Briar, you're a damn fool."   


--------------------------------- 

Making his way outside his quarters and onto the deck, Briar could finally taste the fresh salt air. Closing his eyes, he practically gulped down the air, feeling it fill his lungs. Sighing, Briar looked around before he spotted Daja standing with Sandry, Tris, Jadof, and Dasnie on the side of the boat. Looking farther down the dock, he spotted Pasco and Evvy talking to themselves. Suddenly feeling paternal, Briar was about to give a lecture, before he heard Daja yell over to him. 

"Well, if it isn't the _loser_ coming now!" With that, she leaned back and smiled smugly at him. 

Briar eyed her dangerously. "What are you talkin' about?" He yelled back at her. 

Smile still smug and amused, Daja answered, "Looks like you just couldn't handle the poison, eh Briar? Was asleep like a baby before I polished off my second bottle of Eleven-and-seven." 

Walking over to the group, Briar gave her a confused look. "I don't know what you're talking about. . . must be another one of your drunken dreams, Daja. I've told you to keep it easy on the bottle, now. . ." He put a hand on her shoulder before giving a look of mock-concern, his eyes glittering with mischief. 

Daja rolled her eyes before slapping his hand away. "You're too much," She snapped tartly at him, before turning away to look out towards the Western deep. When she did, she stopped dead in her tracks. Her mouth became slightly agape and she narrowed her eyes before blinking. 

Briar, seeing her reaction, scrunched his eyebrows up before following her gaze. Looking out towards the ocean, Briar stopped suddenly. Straight in front of them was a huge island, green and lush as any land he had ever seen. There was vegetation and gnarled trees so tall it made Briar's head spin. But that was not what astonished him. In what looked like the middle of the huge island was a huge building, rising up what looked like many thousand feet, with what looked like the biggest glass ceiling Briar had ever seen. Or the only glass ceiling that he had ever seen. 

It was the _Eliaso qu Vernon._

"You've gotta be shittin' me," Briar mumbled, loud enough for everyone to hear. But this time no one objected his cursing. They all just stood in silent agreement. 

They stood like that for what seemed like forever, but was probably less than a minute. 

Suddenly, out of the silence, Jadof spoke, "Anyone wanna hear a joke?" 

No one answered. Everyone gaped. 

"There were three men on a journey: A trader, a merchant, and a dedicate. . ." 

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_AAHHHH!!! WHERE THE HELL HAVE I BEEN? hehe, sorry about all this folks. I suck. Big time. I'm just a lazy slob for not writing this, and I apologize. I did have writer's block for this chapter, and all the other chapters seem to be coming into place except this one. And the problem with fanfiction is well, you can't really mix up chapters. . . so this chapter took forever to write, and I'm not really even that happy with it either. Oh well, better chapters on the horizon folks. And they will come much sooner than this one, I promise. Thanks to everyone who has stayed loyal to this story. It means millions to me. _

_Well, see ya guys on the flip side. . . Remember, "be a responsible reader and review!"_


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